Chaos Is Come Again
by Alyx Bradford
Summary: *Chapter 14 - slowly going crazy* The story of the life and times of the entity known as Cassandra. There's a reason it's in this genre, I swear, it just isn't apparent yet...
1. Prologue

Prologue 

_The Creation (at least as the Raeglythans tell it)_

Once, in the beginning, there was nothing.  The universe was simply a void, without any light to break through the dismal blankness, or darkness to disturb it.  Then, in one fateful moment, a speck of burning matter appeared, and it moved.

_Something within the speck was stirring into awareness.  Suddenly, without warning or premonition, the spark exploded into a bright flash of crimson light, spreading its dense matter out into the void and replacing it.  In this burst of energy, Chaos was born.  She threw herself into the first fiery light to be cast over the Universe, and roared with all her might, _**_"I am!"_**

_Chaos was the spirit of flame from which she was born.  Wild, untamed Chaos ran and played for countless millennia amid the newborn universe.  She fused protons, neutrons, and electrons with each other and created the stars.  Around these blazing glories of hers, she created harder matter, and these balls of stone she called planets.  The Goddess spent her time throwing atoms together and laughing at the explosions, or seeing exactly how fast molten lava could carve through a mountain, or watch as gravity pulled stars together._

_Chaos enjoyed herself, running around by herself in the universe, and she was sure that the boundless fathoms of space would never have any mistress but herself, Lady of Flame and Fire.  However, on one of her planets, a few stray atoms and molecules joined together, and there was Life._

_Where Chaos had come into existence with a loud bang, Life entered as though on a sweet song.  Life was a gentle, caring Goddess, a stark contrast to her sadistic, whimsical sister.  She was Good and Lawful, where Chaos was, well, Chaotic._

_Life's original domain was a few mere microbes on one planet, but her boundaries grew without limits.  Over many years, Life shaped and molded her creatures with loving care until they were beautiful.  Life was full of love and compassion for her creatures, which danced and sang all over the universe._

_At first, Chaos had been angry at this mishap of hers which had been conjured into existence by her own unruly elements.  However, as Life's creations grew and thrived, Chaos became amused by them and by her Sister.  Chaos threw flames and lava at Life's creations, recreating her havoc on the planets, now calm and cool and no longer bubbling rocks of magma.  Life soon found out that Chaos was destroying her creatures, and they argued bitterly over this.  Chaos was stubborn and possessed a fearsome temper, but Life was emboldened by love for her creatures and did not fear her Sister (much)._

_To solve the problem, Life summoned all  her power and called another being into existence from her own aura.  Her new sister was Nature, a matronly Goddess who soon began working her charms over Chaos's handiwork.  Between Life and Nature, Chaos was subdued into a forced submission.  She instantly took a loathing attitude towards both of the Benevolent Goddesses, and vowed revenge._

_The planets of the universe were teeming with the combined forces of Life and Nature.  With Chaos's reign diminished to only a few star systems and no other limits to Life and Nature, the universe was overrun with creations.  Generation after generation after generation of animals grew and thrived, but never died.  Try as she might, Nature could not provide enough vegetation for the herbivores, and all the carnivores had been stolen by Chaos and held in her domain.  Life saw this, and, being the Lady of Light and Order, knew it would not do.  The animals lay suffering, starving, and being trampled by their own kind, but never being put out of their misery.  Together, Life and Nature agreed that something had to be done about it, and, bracing themselves for a fight, went to see their brooding Sister Chaos._

_Chaos did not want to listen to reason.  No matter how Life and Nature tried to explain the destruction to Chaos, it made no difference.  Chaos saw no reason to help the powers which had forced her into the background, until Nature revealed to her that creating another dark Goddess would allow her to become powerful again.  And high on the list of things Chaos loved was power._

_Chaos and Life pooled their powers, and from Life's Lawful qualities and Chaos's Dark ones, a fourth, final Goddess came into existence.  The new Goddess was cloaked in night and hidden by shadows, and she was called Death.  Chaos instantly thought her boring and suggested they try again, but Nature said she was just the addition the family needed._

_Death set things right in the universe.  This was the order Life had sought to attain, and she was pleased.  Nature was pleased as well, for things grew better when there was a system of balances in place.  Even Chaos was glad, for now she had a sibling she could try and relate to._

_In time, all creatures were born, lived, and died, only to be born again.  Life wove the threads of life, Nature cared for them, and Death cut each strand with silver blades.  Chaos ceased her brooding and returned to merrily doing her best to tangle all the threads._

_Together, the Goddesses formed a new realm for themselves, called Ellara.  Each had a domain.  Life ruled over Auraeria, Death over Tyrzenor, Nature over Fremoth, and Chaos over Raeglyth.  The goddesses lived within their own palaces in their own realms, but saw each other often enough, and together they shaped the lives of mortals._

~~*~~

"Lir katé, zet hachesi, ik hoka zeit sentra Dela Chasentrdela vanccawiu Ai'lara*," the Raeglythan mother finished telling her cubs, then launched into a lengthy praise of their voreia chesat.

Their Goddess, in the meantime, was feeling a little less than grand at the moment, as her troops had failed to secure the piece of Fremoth she wanted for herself, for the third time that month.  Feeling the need for a little encouragement (and, though she would never admit it, a few good ideas), Chaos called in her Dark Sister Death.

_*"And that, my children, is how our great Goddess Chaos created the Universe"_


	2. Witness the World, That I Create Thee He...

Chapter One

**Witness the World, That I Create Thee Here**

"I am so tired of my troops losing because they're idiots!" Chaos shrieked, hurling a fireball across the room.

"It's your own fault, you know," Death said, quite calmly, watching as the tapestry in the corner burst into flames.  She waved her hand, and instantly the fire smoldered to ash.  The two Goddesses were sitting in Chaos's throne room, which for the time being was draped in crimson and gold tapestries, with a large fountain in the middle of the room, spewing flames and magma.  It had been a different room the last time Death had visited, and she knew it would be different the next time she came.  "You never pay enough attention when you're creating them.  You spend all your time on claws and fangs and fiery tails and venomous fur – "

"That was a rather good idea, I thought."

"Quite.  But my point is that you focus far too much on outward scariness, rather than making them terrifying and intimidating in a more psychological and intellectual manner."

Chaos pouted, even though she knew Death was right.  Bugbears and fire drakes and gargoyles and hellhounds were plenty scary, but not very bright**_.  _**"I need to make something intelligent and useful…**_"_** she moaned, falling down by the side of her fountain and dipping her hand in the lava.

"I suggest a human."

Chaos gave Death a very pointed look.  "Excuse me?  A human?  They're completely worthless!  No fangs, no scales, no tails, no claws…"

"Precisely.  It'll force you to make it lethal from the inside out."

"You want her to have fatal intestines?"

"Chaos, you know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it…"

"Focus on her mind.  Give her extra-sharp senses.  Make her cunning and vicious.  I'm sure you've the imagination for it.  Just _concentrate_."

Chaos wrinkled her nose.  "That doesn't sound easy."

"Consider it a challenge."

Her eyes instantly lit up.  "A challenge!  Why, of course I'm up to it!"

Death smirked.  She knew that would do the trick.  Chaos never could turn down a challenge.

"Right, then… I'd better get to work…"

Death went back to Tyrzenor, and Chaos set to work on her newest creation.  Although she had invented many beasts and fantastical creatures in her time (as well as fancying herself responsible for the creation of Life herself), she had never tried to make a human before.  She twirled the end of one of her fire-locks around her finger, thinking as deeply as she ever did.  "Right, then…"

She dashed off to her workroom, leaving a bewildered company of demons knocked over in her wake.  Chaos's workroom was the original lab of a mad scientist, with bits of unidentified creatures littering the tables, beakers of poisonous and smoking liquids scattered on the shelves, and candles burning dimly from half a dozen twisted bronze candelabras.  But her favorite feature was the enormous cauldron in the center of the room, large enough to stew a person if she ever got the desire.  At present, though, she was not interested in torturing a sentient, but in creating one.

Chaos had perhaps never been quite so dedicated to single pursuit in her existence.  She hovered over her cauldron for a moment, drumming her claw-like fingernails against the metallic rim.  _Concentrate, concentrate… _She wrinkled her brow, unused to the task of considering something so deeply.  Usually she based her creations purely on whimsy, but now she had to be cautious, deliberate, cunning.  It took a few moments to get into the right mindset, but once she was there, no one could be more determined.

"Fire for spirit, obviously."  Chaos had long ago taken to talking to herself when she worked, as she deemed none of her grotesque companions worthy conversationalists.  "Substance, substance… quicksilver! But that's too light, too airy… meld it with bronze, that'll do the trick… that'll make for a fine constitution… She must be a mighty warrior… undefeatable…"  Chaos thumbed through her spellbook, looking for the appropriate combination of strength, speed, and agility.  "Damn, this page is scorched… ahh… here we go…"  She whirled around and grabbed a vial containing a liquid that was faintly tinted yellow.  "Cobra venom… perfect!  Agility and speed… and that lovely first strike thing all of Life's bloody creatures seem to have.  Well, little Sister, who's got the jump this time?"  Chaos cackled, a malicious laugh that echoed throughout her palace, terrifying even the monstrous beings who guarded her.

"Now, what else… red dragon's blood for strength."  Chaos grasped a beaker of a thick bronze liquid, which shimmered red in the light.  She poured about a quarter of the container's contents into the cauldron, then shrugged and poured another half in.  "Ehh, what the hell… dammit.  Think, Chaos, think.  You're obviously great enough to train your mind, so do it.  Lightening, for speed… and precog!  Ohh, what a kickass side effect."  Chaos raised her hands and muttered an incantation, calling a single bolt of lightening from the dark clouds just outside the window, directing it into the cauldron.

"Now, then…"  She started looking at her shelves, stocked with various bottles and jars of intangible items.  "I've got to make sure she's smart… that was the idea in the first place, after all… so… ah!**_"_**  She grabbed a bottle, labeled _chege ni'letho – kir zinda_, and threw it into the cauldron, thus mixing the last light of a Raeglythan sunset into the brew.  "And with that…"  Chaos took a few twigs of a stinging nettle plant.  "… to give her wit.  Take that, Death!  What else, what else, what else…"  She scanned her shelves and flipped through her books, searching for inspiration.  "Oooh… what a great idea… blood on the moon.  She'll be the essence of a bad omen, stalking and striking and terrifying all who come near her.  She'll have a magnificent aura!  Let's see Life's wimpy angels stand up to _this_!  Oh, that reminds me…"  Another jar was tossed into the mix.  "A hellhound's howl, to intimidate her foes.  Hey, that was neat…"  She took a short break to juggle her collection of jars until she just barely saved one from crashing onto the redstone floor.  "Damn!  Focus, Chaos, focus…"**__**

She rummaged through a box of random items until she found a small brown package with short golden hairs in it.  "Clippings from a lion's mane, to give her charisma.  Charisma!  If she's going to be perfect, she needs to control the males of her species.  What can I put in her to give her supreme control over the powers of seduction?  Hmm… tiger heart?  No, that could have, er, ill effects."  She gave up on her collection of body parts and moved back to the ethereal shelves.  "No… no… no… no… yes!  Perfect!  So suggestive, so deceptive, so wonderful, so… so… oh, it's just right."  And into the cauldron went a maiden's first blush, sign of the loss of innocence.  "And… oh, what the hell, oleander juice.  Just a little extra lethal quality…"__

Chaos leaned against the edge of the cauldron, careful not to let her red sash fall into the cauldron. "Still… needs… something… this is all very good, but… she still needs… essence.  Vitality.  How can I give her that special something…something to tie it all together… Ah!"  She whirled around, rounding on one of the hapless demons guarding the door**_.  _**"You!  Run to the kitchens and find me a bottle of bloodwine.  Make it a big one!"

He dashed out, and she paced the room, detesting having to wait for anything.  When the demon returned, she yanked the wine bottle form him, nearly taking his hand off in the process.  "Idiot!"

Chaos emptied the entire bottle of bloodwine into the cauldron.  Bloodwine was like no other wine, certainly beyond the abilities of most mortals to tolerate.  Chaos brewed it herself, and no one was quite sure how she made it.  No one had ever dared to ask.

"Well, that should do it… yeah, that'll do…"  She set the cauldron to stirring itself and left for the night.  By morning, she was certain, the brew would be well steeped and the right consistency to mold into the perfect woman.

Chaos stalked down the halls to her boudoir, lavishly decorated with red and purple silks dripping from golden fixtures.  "Out, out, out!" she screeched at the attendants who followed her.  "Aesta!  Never, ever again am I making creatures with three times the normal dosage of loyalty!  You're all driving me crazy!"  Chaos was Machiavellian before she had invented Machiavelli – her attendants both loved and feared her, devoted to a fault, but driven by the terror she inspired.

Chaos flopped down into a plum-colored chaise, draping her limbs over the luxurious fabric.  "Damn, that took a lot out of me…  I need a drink…"  She snapped her fingers, summoning a bottle of bloodwine into her presence, then wondered why she hadn't just done that earlier instead of sending her incompetent underling.  "Kaza kres, I've been working too hard."  She ripped the cork out of the glass neck and tossed back a swig of the bloodwine, both sweet and bitter, and utterly intoxicating.   "Ahhh… no better way to exist…"**__**

~~*~~

On the list of little known facts about Chaos, right along with a love of twine and a weakness for beignets, is her skill as an artist, particularly when sculpting a new creation.  This time she worked in silence, preferring that morning not to interrupt her own concentration.  First, the basic structure, lithe and strong, five feet, ten and three quarter inches tall.  Her "hair," which would be bolts of flame as soon as she came into existence, nearly reached her knees.  The fingernails curving off of her hands were long and perfectly manicured.  Her heart-shaped face was deceptively sweet, the inner sharpness reflected only in the angles of her jawline and cheekbones, which lent her a rather superior air.  Chaos had crafted her to be not so much beautiful in a traditional sense, but exceptionally striking, the sort of woman that could not help but attract attention.  On this frame, Chaos draped a length of crimson satin fabric, little more than a glorified loincloth, belted with a golden chain at the waist and sewn together at a very few strategic locations.

Then Chaos got out her paint set.  She could create any color she wished, but usually her palate consisted of the blues of hot flames, the reds and golds of autumn leaves, and various shades of metal.  The creation's skin became a fine, healthy bronze tan; her eyes, the golden reflection of the sun on a lake.  Her nails were painted the crimson of freshly spilt blood, while her lips' color resembled dried red roses.  So Chaos continued, working in intense silence until at last she was satisfied.  At last she found her thinnest brush and dipped it in a ruby paint, then etched on her creation's skin her emblem.  Just below the right collarbone, she drew the spiral, five circles deep, pierced by an arrow, a tattoo that would forever mark the girl as Chaos's.  _One last thing…_ she thought, reaching into the satchel tied around her waist.  She pulled out a smooth red gem on a gilded leather cord, and clasped it about her creation's neck.

Chaos leaned out the window, checking the angle of the sun.  Just as it was reaching its pinnacle, Chaos stepped in front of her painted statue and cast her arms upward, summoning the strength of all the storm and fire of Raeglyth into her.  As the aureate rays marked high noon, Chaos threw back her head and cried in a voice that rumbled into the souls of all listening, **_"My creation, I command thee: awaken!"_**

~~*~~

Chaos paced around her latest creation, who was standing on a pedestal. "Nice… very nice… as well you ought to be, for all the work I put into you."**** Her creation just smirked, crimson lips twisting upwards at one corner.  "Wonderful… wonderful…"

Death appeared, looking rather disturbed for being dragged from her home again.  "What's this about?  What did you want me to – oh!"

"Magnificent, isn't she?"

Death was considerably impressed, which Chaos proudly noted.  Impressing Death herself was not an easy task.  "She's certainly… something… but what can she do?"

Chaos grinned.  "Oh, what _can't_ she do?  Creation – "  She waved a semi-clawed hand and beckoned her design forward**_.  _**"Show my dear Sister Death what you can do."

"As you wish it, My Lady Goddess."  Her voice rang out in a strong alto, clear as a bell with the underlying promise of danger.

Chaos smirked.  "Sister, we may want to get out of the way." Chaos and Death stepped to the side of the room.  With another snap of her fingers, Chaos called a dozen gargoyles into existence.  In the blink of an eye, Chaos's creation drew a long blade from where it was strapped to her lower leg, another from its position on her upper left arm.  When she grasped them, the blades glowed red, as her eyes seemed to.  She tensed slightly, flexing all of her honed muscles, and then the gargoyles attacked.

Chaos's creation lashed out in every direction, moving nearly too fast to see.  She leapt into the air, kicking her legs in a wide arc as she did so.  She would kick one gargoyle out of her way while slicing the limbs off of another – Death deduced that those were no normal blades, and must have some sort of enchantment on them.

She was beautiful to watch in action.  Violent and deadly as her motions were, she was swift and precise, every action as though it were part of a well-choreographed dance.  Death was astonished.  Chaos's creations were predominantly crude and ill-formed, even more ill-moving.  Effective nonetheless, but for brute force, not any sense of meticulous action.  This one, though, was different.  It took her a very short time to dispatch all of the gargoyles, leaving bits of wing and claw littered about the chamber.  When she finished, she resumed her place atop the pedestal, looking as though, had she possessed hair, not a strand would be out of place.

"In case you're wondering, she has other talents, too."

"Like what?"

"A touch of precog, which I was especially proud of."

"You stole that bit of the recipe."

"So?  Anyway, there's some telepathy and telekinesis in there, too.  And the skills of seduction."

Death raised an eyebrow.  "Oh?"

Chaos grinned.  "She's perfect.  I think her sheer energy could kill a man in bed."

"That is rather impressive."

"There's a bit of shape-shifting, too.  Only to other human forms, mind you, but I think that'll work well enough… maybe I'll add animal forms later…"

"She's a shapeshifter?"****

Chaos gestured.  By the time Death had turned to look, the creation had morphed into a human replica of herself – tall, pale, and imposing, with long jet-black hair.

"Whoa…" 

"She's also mind-linked to me.  She knows what I want at all times.  She does my bidding without my having to ask.  Only I keep forgetting that and telling her what to do anyway.  Habit, I guess."

"I must admit, she is magnificent… Fascinating.  What is she made of?" 

"Well, fire to start with, of course.  Quicksilver and bronze, melded.  The essence of blood on the moon.  Stinging nettle.  Cobra venom.  Some other things, too, but I don't remember…"

"How very like you."

Chaos shrugged.  "It doesn't matter.  She's perfect, and if I wanted to make more like her, I'm sure I could."  She paused**_.  _**"Well, maybe not.  That took a lot of concentration, and I'm not sure I have much more to spare.  Hey, do you want some chocolate?"

Death smirked, realizing that Chaos probably wasn't aware she'd just proved her own point. "Well, sister, I'm proud of you.  I'll admit I didn't think you had it in you to create something with half a brain, much less a full one."

"Oh, she's got a full brain.  Languages, math…" Chaos ran a hand through her flame-tresses.  "Come to think of it, I'm really not sure where she got all that.  But it's there!"

"Hmm, well… what are you going to do with her?" 

"I haven't decided yet.  I'm sure sooner or later someone will start a war and she'll be useful… until then… I dunno…"

"So what're you calling it?" 

"Hmm… good question… something appropriate… something that won't give her away, though…"  Chaos's scattered mind performed a generic search on names, and eventually came up with one that she decided suited her latest creation to perfection.  "I have it!  I will call her Cassandra."**__**

****

****

_(A/N: "Witness the world, that I create thee here," King Lear, V.iii, spoken by Regan)_


	3. Item: She Hath Many Nameless Virtues

[Authoress's Notes:

[This is going to earn itself an "R" rating really fast, I can tell… Sex, violence, language, general scariness… oh, well…Not yet, though.  This chapter's… well, only suggestive, which keeps it in the PG-13 category.

[Other notes… Nature's supposed to have a Scottish accent.  I'm very bad at typing Scottish accents.  My apologies.]

Chapter Two Item: She Hath Many Nameless Virtues 

Death was grinning.  Well, not so much grinning as smiling very slightly, but it was such an odd expression that Life noticed it immediately.   "I know that look.  There is no way in any of the planes that can be construed as a good look."

"Chaos has a new toy."

"Is that all?  Chaos always has a new toy."

"This one's different.  She's… well, put simply, amazing."

"She impressed _you_?"

"I can't believe Chaos had it in her to concentrate on a project for so long.  But…"  Here Death really smiled, a creeping turn of the mouth that could freeze steam. "We know what happens when our dear sister really puts her mind to something… she's even more dangerous in high concentrations."

Life shivered.  Chaos's greatest weakness was her very temperament – the fact that her mind rarely remained on one task for any appreciable amount of time.  When the easily-distracted factor was removed… Life shuddered again, hoping this wouldn't get out of hand.

At this point, Death launched into a grand description of Cassandra, of her seeming virtues and her talents, her strength and quick mind.  Life grew steadily more pallid as Death delineated all of the new creation's attributes.  When the Dark One stopped, Life swallowed hard and said, "What's Chaos planning to do with her?"

"I don't rightly know.  But I'd keep a close eye on my villagers if I were you."  With that and another sly grin, Death slid out of Life's presence.

Life sat, blinking, for a moment.  "Nature!"

~~*~~

"It's a nightmare!  An absolute nightmare!"

Nature looked up from her reading.  "What now?"

"They've… they've… they've created a _monster_!"

"Are they not always?  Chaos especially…"

Life flounced down amid a haze of white skirts.  "It's different this time."

"What do you mean?"  
"Well, Death said so."

Nature blinked a few times.  "Have you even seen this new creation?  I mean, Chaos is always makin' summat dreadful.  I wouldnae worry about it."

"But… Death said… this one's got a brain!"

"Well, technically, all of her creatures have brains, they just dinnae know how t' use 'em."

"This one's intelligent.  Truly.  She can think and reason and plan strategies.  And she's awful and lethal."

Nature set her book down on her desk, then stood up, shaking out her apron.  "Le's go see this creature, then.  I'm sure it cannae be so bad as all that."

When the two Light Goddesses found Chaos's latest creation, the Fire Goddess was not about.  Cassandra, however, was perched atop her pedestal, sitting perfectly still.

"Is this…"

"She must be."

Nature tilted her head to one side.  "She does nae look so bad.  O' course, it's a little hard to be scared o' a Human."

"Do you see the flames on her head?!  This is no mere mortal Human!"

"Well, I c'n see them…"

When they had entered, Cassandra's head had been bowed, eyes shut, as though deep in meditation.  As Life and Nature walked forward, she raised her head and opened flashing yellow eyes at them.  Life eeped and jumped behind Nature, who was regarding Cassandra cautiously.

"Hello."

"H-Hello."

Cassandra blinked.  The red stone at her throat was glowing oddly, and Life decided right off that that was a bad sign.  "Greetings.  You are My Lady's Sisters, are you not?"

Life nodded.  "Aye," said Nature.  "That we are.  We're wonderin' what you might be."

Cassandra looked down at herself, then back up to the Goddesses.  "Isn't it fairly obvious?"

"Well, y're Human, that much is obvious.  But…"

"But what are you for?"

"I exist for the pleasure and bidding of the Lady Chaos, Mistress of All that is Great."

Life stood up on her tiptoes and whispered to Nature, "I don't think I like her."

"I don't think she likes us," Nature whispered back.  Indeed, Cassandra was fixing them with what would later be dubbed the Evil Glare of Evil ™.  Being Goddesses, they were unaffected by the look's dark powers, but they still didn't like it.  Nature opened her mouth to say something else, but at that moment the Mistress of Flame herself burst dramatically into the room.

"What are you doing here?!" she demanded.

"Just… looking…"

Chaos paused for a moment, deciding whether to be infuriated or not.  After a short deliberation, she smirked, saying, "Come to marvel at my creation?  I warrant neither 'a you've ever made somethin' like this."

"Well, that's certainly true," Life whispered to herself.

"I'm calling her Cassandra."

"Why is her necklace glowing?" Nature ventured.

"Oh, that.  Gives her a mind link to me."

Life swallowed.  "Mind link?"__

"Mind link."

"Mercy heavens…"

Chaos leaned against the red stone wall, wearing a pleased smile.  "Life, dear Sister, you've gone even paler than usual.  And Nature, you don't need to give me that look.  I know perfectly well you're not pleased.  In fact, I was counting on it."  Nature made her expression even more admonishing.  Chaos grinned, baring fang-like teeth.  "Now, if y'all don't mind, we've got some training to do."  Two pairs of yellow eyes, fearsomely alike, bored straight into Life's blue pair.  "Unless you'd care to watch.  I was thinkin' of practicing on some unicorns my troops captured th' last time they were in Auraeria."

Life's eyes doubled in diameter.  "What?  NO!  You can't!  They're holy!" she screeched.

Nature stared at Chaos quite calmly.  "Come on, Life.  Let's leave our Sister to her work."  Life allowed herself to be led from the room, glancing over her shoulder at the two flame-haired beings behind her.

Cassandra turned to Chaos and blinked.  "Unicorns, Lady?"

Chaos waved a hand impatiently.  "Don't actually have any.  I was just screwing with Life."**__**

"Your sadism is exquisite, My Lady."

"Of course it is!  Now, then, I do have some training for you.  Let's see what you can handle."

Her lips turned up into a cruel smile.  "Anything you can throw at me, My Lady."

~~*~~

Chaos watched from a distance as the tiger-bloodeagle hybrid crept through the garden, if the tangled mass of choking vines and weeds could be called that.  Cassandra stood in the middle of a small clearing, where the vegetation had been cut away by the machete clenched in her left hand.  _That blade won't help you against a hybrid, fine one,_ Chaos thought bemusedly.  She had only just begun forcing Cassandra to use tactics and not merely power in her training, and wondered how the girl would handle this.

Wings folded close to its back, the hybrid slunk close to the ground, hugging the earth to avoid the dangling viper vines.  Cassandra did not move; she was listening, straining to hear the faint shuffling of dirt under the hybrid's paws.  The creature seemed to realize it was making noise, and so took to the air.  It moved faster than the vines could, and so was able to escape to a higher level of flora where it would not be set upon by bloodthirsty botanicals.  Cassandra turned, having heard the rustling of the creature's wings when it first took off, but the hybrid was a silent flier; once it was in the air, it was nearly undetectable.  Cassandra knew this, yet did not look concerned.  She waited.  Chaos watched as the hybrid flew a circle in the air, judging its prey.

Without warning, the predator attacked, swooping down through the leaves, elegantly dodging the leaves of the trailing plants, moving in a blur towards Cassandra.  Claws extended, wings beating furiously, the hybrid dove for Cassandra's chest.  For a moment Chaos wondered if Cassandra even realized it was happening.

Then, in movements too quick to see, Cassandra had dropped her machete and used the free hand to grab an arrow from the quiver at her back.  She notched the arrow, drew back the string, and loosed the weapon all in one fluid movement.  The arrow found its mark squarely in the beast's chest, and the creature fell to the ground unceremoniously.  The hybrid screeched horrendously as it writhed in the dirt, until it lost the strength to fight.  When she was sure it had no power left to attack her, she picked up the machete, approached the unfortunate beast, and hacked off its head.

"Excellent," Chaos said, coming forward.  "Most excellent.  I gotta say, I was worried for a minute there."

Cassandra grabbed a length of her skirt and used it to wipe the blood off of her machete.  "Have you no faith in your own creation?"

Chaos frowned.  "C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"You're getting too serious, and I don't like it.  I gave you other talents, too, y'know.  Let's test those out."  She flashed Cassandra a wicked grin.  "We're going to a party!"

Chaos, Mistress of all that is Wild, is the original party girl.  Every teenager who has gotten completely inebriated and lost her virginity at a frat bash owes the experience to the Lady of Flame.  When the Raeglythans weren't decimating enemy cities or plotting to take over another plane of existence, they were most likely drinking and fornicating.  Chaos was extremely proud of her people's attitude in this respect.  It was to one such celebration that Chaos elected to take Cassandra, a rowdy bash of Raeglythans and their fellow mischief-makers, including even a few Humans they'd picked up somewhere.

"C'mon, we'd better go in disguise, or else they'll be too busy bowing and being terrified of me – as well they should be – to have fun.  Pick a look," Chaos ordered.  Cassandra's image instantly shifted into that of a tall, well-endowed blonde.  "Nice," Chaos approved, herself shifting into a wildly red-headed entity.  "Let's go."

Raeglythans were typically half-crazed, either with wine or with bloodlust, and most were already intoxicated by the time Chaos and Cassandra arrived.  No one paused to welcome the new arrivals; they simply jumped into the fray.  Chaos entertained herself by entering a drinking contest (unfair, to be sure, as immortals tend to hold their liquor quite well).  Cassandra, in the meantime, had started dancing with some of the other scantily-clad beings there.  It didn't take the few Human men present much time to gravitate towards her, and even less time after that for Cassandra to find one she liked and disappear off to a dark corner with him.

Chaos, of course, knew exactly what was going on.  _Nice choice,_ she thought.  _Little scrawny for my tastes, but whatever…_  She then returned to knocking back her seventh consecutive Widow Maker.  _Have your fun now, Cassandra… soon… very soon… we'll have work to do… Auraeria!_

_[A/N:  ::intense, dark, foreshadowing music plays::  Hehe.  What will happen on Auraeria?  Will Life be able to stop the Daughter of Flame from ravaging her land?  Will Nature make blueberry muffins?  Tune in next time to find out…_

_[And in the meantime, reviews!  I love reviews!]_

_* "Item: She hath many nameless virtues."  The Two Gentlemen of Verona, III.i, spoken by Speed.  When spoken, this line should always be accompanied by the "huge tracts of land" gesture from Monty Python._


	4. Than By Destruction Dwell In Doubtful Jo...

[Authoress's Notes: Vilariat!  I conquered this chapter, which has been plaguing me for weeks!  And it's not half bad, if I do say so myself.

_[A few random things… I earlier stated that Nature has a Scottish accent.  (Fremothan, really, but it comes across as Scottish).  I also stated that I'm bad at it.  I think I keep getting worse.  But I do my best.  Also regarding the way the Goddesses speak… in the actual document (and I credit this to Christine Persephone, from whom I stole the technique), Life talks in silver and italicized lettering, Death in black and bold, Chaos in crimson red, both italicized and emboldened, and Nature in simple green.  However, colors do not show up on ffn.  Italics and bold do, but for some reason they never seem to upload consistently.  So I've just left them out, rather than having them there half the time and not there inexplicably the other half of the time._

_[Read on, intrepid explorer!]_

**Chapter Three**

_"'Tis safer to be that which we destroy_

_than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy."_

_-- Lady M, III.ii, Macbeth_****

Life paced back and forth on her marble floor, fretting terribly.  "What can I do, what can I do, what can I do?" she whispered to herself.  Chaos was always making threats against the Light powers, Auraeria in particular.  No one knew why she harbored a particular animosity for the bipedal felines.  No one had ever tried to figure it out.  It was simply one of those Ultimate Truths of the universe; Chaos disliked Auraerians.

Life had been keeping a closer eye over her mortal plane ever since Chaos had started making threats.  _For all the good it will do me,_ she thought.  When Chaos set her mind to something, there was usually little any of the other Goddesses could do but wait it out and deal with the aftermath.  Life did not particularly like this set-up.  Particularly when she feared that her precious Auraerians might be in danger.

Life was still pacing when one of her angels burst into the room.  "Forgive me, My Lady, but – oh!  I had to tell you as soon as possible!"

Life bit her lower lip.  "What is it?"

"Auraeria, Daea!  The Raeglythans have launched an attack on the border!"

Life's hands were shaking, but other than that her appearance was forcibly composed.  "What is the outcome?"

"Devastation.  I… I'm sorry, My Lady, I do not know how it happened… the Raeglythans have never attacked with such a quick fury before… the villages had fallen before anyone knew what had happened…"  The poor angel looked to be on the verge of tears, her golden curls of hair in wild disarray.  "I'm sorry, My Lady…" she stammered.  "So sorry…"

"It isn't your fault," Life said.  "I blame only my Sister…  but I should like to see what's happened for myself…"

~~*~~

It had been some hours since the battle ended, but the stench of blood still hung in the air.  The odor was enhanced by the fact that the Raeglythans had gone hunting in the evening hours, and were even now roasting the creatures they'd caught in the Auraerian forests over crackling fires.  The stink of decay mixed with the fumes given off by the burning animal flesh, spreading the smell of death and destruction far and wide.  Fires blazed everywhere, from the smoldering remnants of cottages to the cooking pits to the celebratory bonfires which the Raeglythan troops were lighting all over the terrain.  War whoops and howls pierced the air, sending chills of terror into the hearts of those few Auraerians who had escaped and were even now huddled in fright in whatever hiding places they could create for themselves.

Meanwhile, Chaos was cackling.  Incessantly.  As well as hopping about the campfire clapping her hands.  Some days she preferred to direct the battles from afar, but this time she preferred to be down on the field of glory with her troops.  Chaos was a warrioress at heart, and one of her greatest thrills in existence was the sharing the joy of triumph with the army, even if most of them were utter idiots.  She also thrilled to see the remains of the Auraerian town burning to cinders in the background.  She hopped up and down again.

"You're exceeding… bouncy… today, My Lady," Cassandra remarked as she picked the meat off of the ribs she'd just removed from the spit.

"I'm just so pleased!" the Fire Goddess exclaimed.  "So very, very pleased!"  Cassandra blinked.  "With you, of course!"

"Ah."

"You've turned out even better than I'd hoped.  I shall have to remember the recipe… or see if I can… hmm.  Imagine!  An army like you!"

Cassandra pouted.  "Am I not to be unique, then?"

"Oh, I'm sure you will be… I doubt I could remember what I used in you, anyway… but if I _could_!  Kaza kres!  I'd have all of the mortal planes under my control in no time at all!"

Cassandra resumed eating.  Chaos sat on a rock, grinning wildly.  "We'll set out northward in the morning.  I'd love to get all of the coastal regions under control.  We can work on moving inland later."

"As you wish it, Lady."

"Superb!  Honestly!  Do you realize how great you performed?"  Cassandra just smiled to herself.  "I've never seen anything like it!"

Karya, one of the Raeglythan commanders sitting near them, muttered his assent.  "Gotta hand it to th' girl… she dispatched th' Auraerian forces pretty neatly."  He paused to pick a bit of meat out of his teeth with a sliver of bone.

His sister, Kava, a lither and mane-less version of himself, grinned, baring teeth which glistened, made shiny by the fat of the creature she had just devoured.  "Neatly?  Weren't nothin' neat about it."

"Oh, I dunno… did it quickly.  Relatively quietly."

"Only 'cause they didn't have time to scream."  Kava laughed maliciously.  Cassandra just kept eating, not letting their praise go to her head.  "Honestly!  Ya didn't even flinch!"

"And why should I have?  I had my orders from My Lady."

"Yeah, but…"  The tawny Raeglythan snickered.  "Well, Karya hesitated with those little kits.  You didn't even blink!"

"Of course she didn't!" Chaos snapped, tiring quickly of hearing Kava's voice.  "She's been well-trained.  You'd do well to follow her example."  A vicious gleam entered her eyes.  "Indeed… if you were all as well-behaved as Cassandra, we'd never have any troubles!  Instead, I'm forced to put up with the idiocy of my commanding officers!"

Karya and Kava were both cringing by now.  "We're… we're sorry, M'Lady…" Karya whimpered.

"It's only that… well… she's Goddess-born," Kava said, thinking fast.  "We can't… can't be expected to live up to her.  She's perfect."

Chaos saw right through the flattery, but let it calm her anyway.  "You're smarter than your brother," she commented, snatching a hunk of meat from the spit with her bare hand.  "You'll go farther than he will."  Kava gave Karya a triumphant look and let the discussion stand at that.

~~*~~

By the time Nature reached her, Life had already gone through various stages of distress.  Her initial reaction had been one of denial and shock.  She had stood quite still for several moments, before succumbing to the hysterics that claimed her for the better part of the time that passed until Nature arrived.  When the Mistress of the Earth came upon the Lady of Light, the latter was weeping softly.

"I'm sorry, m'dear," Nature said softly, taking one of Life's hands in her own.

"The whole village…" Life sobbed.  "Even the little kits!  Just knee-high!"

"Th' Raeglythans 're ruthless.  We know tha'."

"Yes, but…"  Life sniffled.  "It wasn't just them… the girl… Her Daughter…"

Nature's hands dropped to her sides in shock.  "Cassandra?"

Life nodded.  "And her Creator as well.  They were both there…"

Life was still sniffling.  Nature, however, had crossed her arms and looked as though She had quite made up her mind about something.  When Life wiped her eyes and managed to look up at Her Sister, She recognized the look.  "What is it?"

"Somethin' has t' be done about tha'… tha' _thing_ she's created."  For some reason, it felt odd to Nature to refer to something as beautifully terrible as the Daughter of Flame with the same touch of disgust she used to refer to gnolls and bugbears, but the creation was so horrifying she could speak of it in no other way.

"But we knew that.  What can we do?  She is Chaos's own Daughter.  Surely She will be protective.  What can we do?"  Life's illustrious voice carried a heartbreaking sorrow to it now; She was frightened for her realm and her people, whom She loved.

"O' course She is protective… _now_.  But how long b'fore another tangent captures 'er mind?  She's bound t' leave th' girl unprotected at some point."

"And then what?  I imagine my angels would have quite a time trying to keep that one captive – oh, they could do it, I'm sure, but…"  Life's voice trailed off as she noticed the small smile gracing Nature's features.

"I'm in charge o' recyclin' souls, aren't I?"

Life took a moment to comprehend that, then her eyes widened considerably.  "You can't mean… to… to put her in…"

Nature nodded slowly.  "I think I c'n do it.  I've never tried t' take a semi-mortal soul an' put it in mortal form… I dinnae really know how it'll turn out… but I think it'll work."

"To get her out of Chaos's grasp for the time being, at least."

"Th' trouble is… wi' this war on, Chaos isn't likely t' forget her for a while, at least.  She's concentratin'… an' she's dangerous when She concentrates."

"Oh, I know.  But perhaps…"  She looked up, her ivory cheek still marked with tear stains though her cries had since abated.  "Perhaps we can distract our dear Sister."

~~*~~

"My Lady!"

Chaos looked up from her cot.  She hadn't been sleeping, of course – the Mistress of Mayhem hardly ever slept – but She had been pretending to.  She had just been about to enjoy it when her solitude was interrupted by the tall Raeglythan.  "What the hell d'you want?" she snapped.  "If you wake Cassandra, there'll be bloody hell to pay."  Cassandra, semi-mortal and somewhat needing of rest, had been in repose on the cot on the other side of the tent for several hours now.  Chaos could hardly be called a loving mother, but She felt a certain degree of protectiveness and even affection for this, Her Daughter.  And, like any even remotely good mother, She did not want Her Daughter's sleep disturbed.

"I'm sorry, M'Lady…" the intruder stammered.  Chaos rolled her eyes.  It was Karya again.  "But… well… we've got a very odd report from the east… it seems… err…"

"Out with it!" Chaos hissed.

"It seems the Auraerians have launched a counter-attack."

Chaos blinked red eyes a few times.  "You're joking."

"Uhm…."

"Auraerians?  Counter-attack?  I don't think they know what the word means!"

"Perhaps they bought a dictionary," a voice from behind Karya tittered.

"Kava, I'm going to skin you alive and use your fur to make a parka."

"M'Lady…" Karya was frantically trying to keep his own fur firmly in place, to say nothing of his head.  "I think… er, that is, all of the commanders think… that you ought to go see what it's about.  If they're fighting back, we're going to need to devise a new strategy."

Chaos groaned and leapt off of the cot.  "This'd better be as important as you're making it seem… otherwise I'll use _your_ fur to make a hat, mittens, and boot linings."  She glanced over her shoulder at Cassandra, decided she was best where she was, and strode out the tent and past the Raeglythan siblings.

"At least _I_'ll be made into something big," Kava was saying.  Chaos sighed.  The biggest problem with never following through on some threats was that entities like Kava eventually figured out when She was joking and when She was serious.  But as big an idiot as Karya was, Chaos actually liked Kava for her spirit.

Hiding in the shadows were two beings not at all used to skulking around in the dark.  "Is she really gone?" one whispered.

"I b'lieve so…"

"Let's go, then… we haven't much time…"

~~*~~

The next morning, Chaos quite literally thundered into Nature's living room, where She and Life were seated, placidly sipping herbal tea.  "What have you done with her?!"

Nature blinked calmly in Chaos's direction.  Life kept her attention focused on her tea cup.  "Whatever are ye talkin' about, dear Sister?"

"You  know what!  Cassandra!  My Daughter!  What have you done with her?"  The Fire Goddess's hair was flaming wildly, and Nature glanced at it, hoping her curtains wouldn't go up in a blaze.  "Whatever you've done with her, I want her _back_!  **_NOW!_**"  Life cringed.  Chaos's temper was legendary, and She had been on the receiving end of one of the tempestuous rants before and was not particularly looking forward to repeating the event.

Whereas Life was staying composed only by averting her eyes from Chaos entirely, Nature set down her tea cup, stood, and walked right over to the enraged Goddess.  "Sister, we haven' th' slightest clue what y're talkin' about.  If you've misplaced yer Cassandra, that is nae our problem."

"I didn't _misplace_ her, you simple-minded twit!  She's my Daughter!  The two of you 've done something with her, and I want her back _this instant_!  And I _mean it_!"  She stamped her booted foot, setting the china in the nearby cabinet to rattling.

Nature blinked.  "Why, Chaos, I dinnae know ye had a bit o' maternal instinct in ye.  I must admit, I'm stunned."

"NOW!"

Life flinched at the roaring.  Chaos noticed and realized she'd been neglecting the White Goddess during the tirade.  "I'll bet this was your doing, wasn't it?  You and your stupid morals and sense of justice!  You just don't have the stomach for war!"

"C'n ye blame her?"  
"I wasn't talking to you!  I want to know why the little brat decided She needed to intervene in my business!"

Nature was about to chastise Chaos for calling Life a brat, but Life spoke up for Herself first.  "When she starts attacking my people, it becomes my business," Life said gently.

"What _have you done with her?_  I want her _back_!!"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible."  Life sipped her tea.

"**_WHAT_**?!"

"She said it is nae possible," Nature supplied.  "We've done what we needed t' in order t' keep our peoples safe."

"Where is she?" Chaos demanded in a ferocious roar.

"We cannae tell ye."

"If you've gone and tried to instill her with your bloody sweetness and light –"

"Actually, dear Sister, that's exactly what we've done," Life said, still staring down at her tea.  "We have made her good.  Or, at least, we've tried.  Only time will tell if we've succeeded."

Chaos screeched indignantly.  Life looked at her out of the corner of her eye and realized that each hand was clenched in a fist which was surrounded by a steadily growing ball of fire.

"Now ye'd do best just t' go back home an' focus on yer own realm.  Leave ours alone."

"_No_!  Not until you've given me Cassandra back!"

"We just can't do that."

"You are going to regret this!!" Chaos howled.  "Mark me well, Light Sisters!  You will pay for this, and dearly!"  She then screamed in rage, and this time both Her Sisters did cover their ears.  The sound was splitting, piercing, horrible, like a hundred thousand nails being slowly raked down a particularly squeaky chalkboard.  She then released the fireballs, one at each Goddess.  They were easily deflected, but Chaos hadn't stuck around to see the results.  She had stormed off with a crack of thunder and a flash of lightening, leaving the smell of smoke and pumice ash in the air.

"Well… tha' could've gone worse."

_[A/N:  ::grin::  So… what exactly **did** Life and Nature do with Cassandra?  And how did they do it?  (If you figure it out, let me know.  That's one of those great mysteries I just don't even try to understand).  Tune in next time… for the first mortal life of the Daughter of Flame!_

_[And review!!!]_


	5. Save Thou the Child

[Authoress's Notes:  Did you know you're not supposed to use the word "authoress"?  Apparently it's not PC.  But since I'm the one that gets accused of being a feminazi, and I like the word authoress, I say it's alright to use.

[Dictionary, cast of characters, and random references have been updated.  It might be helpful to look at them.

_[Thanks go to Julia for informing me that Nature's symbol is not a muffin or a loaf of bread, as I had feared.  (Because the Fremoth are weird)._

_[Random aside to Christine:  Baaaaa_

_[I'm sane.  I swear.]_

**Chapter Four**

_"Save thou the child, so we may all be safe."_

_-- Demetrius, II.iii, Titus Andronicus _

Tessan and Selma were minor mages in the matriarchal L'ai'kiva tradition.  L'ai'kiva had once been prominent across Talsyra, but was dying out in all but the most remote regions.  Fortunately for the mages, the small town of Jivata was located in the center of one of these regions.  The two sisters has been living together for years.  Neither had taken a consort, though that was the typical method of propagating the species in the L'ai'kiva tradition.  Selma had often hinted that she might've wanted to pair up and have children, but there were no men in the area worthy of fatherhood.  At these times, Tessan would just smile to herself and nod along with whatever Selma was saying.

And so when Selma opened the door one morning and found a emerald-eyed babe on her doorstep along with the milk, she was extremely pleased.

"Tessan!  Tessan!  Look what I've found!"  She left the milk bottles outside and rushed into the kitchen with the child in her arms.

"Good heavens!" Tessan exclaimed, standing up.  "That's a baby!"

"I'm aware."

"Where have you been hiding it?"

"Tessan, it isn't _mine_!  She was on the doorstep."

Tessan hesitated before speaking.  "Isn't that how tragic plays start?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Tessan.  Look!  Isn't she darling?"

Tessan had to admit that the little girl was precious. She was staring up at them, eyes wide, looking quite comfortable wrapped in the dark green swaddling clothes.  "Wait a minute…"  Tessan reached into the folds of clothing and pulled out a small scroll.  "What's this?"  Selma was too busy cooing over the infant to bother with the letter, but Tessan unrolled it and began reading immediately.  "'My dear mages,'"  The letter was written in thick green ink, penned in a careful and neat hand.  "'We entrust to your care this child.  Take good care of her.  Keep her from harm and keep her from… turning evil?'"  The questioning inflection was not included in the note, but was rather Tessan's own contribution to the reading.  "'She may be in great danger some day.  We give her to you because We believe you can guide her and keep her safe.  She is the…'"  Tessan paused and swallowed.  Selma belatedly realized that she had stopped talking.

"She's the what?"

"'The…' uh… 'the Daughter of Flame…'  is… what it says…"

Selma nearly dropped the girl in her shock.  "You can't be serious."

"I think I am… it's not signed… but… er… well, look at the symbols…"

Tessan thrust the parchment out so Selma could see that at the bottom of the scroll were two markings – one a silver, eight-pointed star, the other a small, green floral design.

"Oh, mercy heavens…"

"Indeed.  Oh, look, there's a postscript."  Below the two symbols, in a script which curled and flowed all over the page, was the message in silver ink, "'Give her a good name.'  A good name?  What's a good name?"

"By all the stars in heaven…" Selma murmured, cooing down at the infant in her arms.  "The Goddesses have given you to us, they have."

"Selma, how do we go about caring for a child that isn't even entirely _human_?"

"What do you mean, not entirely human?"  Selma unwrapped the babe a bit.  "Look!  Ten fingers, ten toes, all the requisite parts…"

Tessan snatched the girl up and rewrapped her.  "You daft girl, she'll catch cold if you do that.  And she's got the body of a human… it's her soul I'm worried about."

"Well, the Great Ladies obviously think it'll do her good if she stays here…"

"I'm aware of that… I'm just worried about how we take care of her."

They both stood in thought for a moment.  The little girl reached up and grabbed one of Tessan's blond curls and started playing with it.  "Ouch!  Why, you little rascal!"  Tessan set about disentangling the infant from her hair and tried to reprimand her, but it was difficult to scold a child who just kept beaming at everyone she saw.  "Certainly doesn't act like the Daughter of Flame…" Tessan mumbled.

"Oh, Tessan!" Selma suddenly cried.  "What are we going to tell people?  I mean, it's fairly obvious that neither of us have been pregnant these past nine months… and she looks to be older than a newborn, anyway…"

"We'll just tell them… we're her _aymas_."

"Her _aymas_?"  
"Yes… we'll say we've got a sister who couldn't take care of her, and left her to us."

"A sister we've never before mentioned in our thirty-couple years here?"

"Speak for yourself, I've only got twenty-nine years to my name.  And, yes.  We only moved here ten years ago, so they don't know that we don't have a sister… we could just say… she's not the sort of lady you talk about."

After a moment, Selma caught the inflection, and went stark white, clasping a hand to her chest.  "Oh, Tessan, we couldn't say such a thing!"

"Certainly can."

"But she's _family_!"

"She's not real!"

Selma blinked.  "But _still_.  We're going to tell people that this is the daughter of a… of a…" 

"You'd rather we tell them she's the Daughter of the Goddess of Destruction and Mayhem?  They wouldn't believe us.  They'd think we were crazy.  And _if_ they _did_ believe us, they'd probably try to drown the poor girl for a demon.  We can't let that happen."

Selma sighed.  "Alright, fine.  The prostitute sister story it is, then."

"Good.  Now go fetch the milk.  The poor babe's hungry…"

"What are we going to call her?" Selma asked as she went back to the door to retrieve the forgotten milk bottles.

Tessan rocked the girl back and forth in her arms, lulling the child to sleep.  "I don't know… what do you think of Cassadraine?"

Selma returned with the milk, and smiled sweetly at Tessan.  "I think it's perfect."

~~*~~

"Chaos isn't happy."

"I'm aware."

"And when Chaos ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

"I'm aware of that, too."

Vigor and Disarray were skulking around outside Chaos's chambers, listening to the Goddess rant, rave, and – as could be guessed from the various crashes and bangs heard – throw things.

"I wonder what happened," Disarray whispered.

Vigor looked left, then right, then leant in to Disarray.  "Y'know that thing she made… the Human?"

Disarray twisted her tail like a corkscrew.  "Yeah."

"Well… I heard – and mind you, this was coming from Confusion, so Dela only knows if it's true or not – I heard that she got stolen."

"Stolen!"

Vigor nodded.  "By Life and Nature."

"Who was on duty?"  Disarray's eyes widened.  "It wasn't me, was it?"

"No, no one was on duty… that's the thing… they were down with the mortals, waging war on Auraeria.  And she just… disappeared."

"Wow…"

"Wow, indeed," a third voice intervened.  Vigor and Disarray squeaked and leapt up, belatedly trying to look as though they had been working.  When they cared to look up, they noticed that the Supreme Demon Blaze was standing over them, swishing her fiery tale back and forth.  "Shouldn't y' two be _working_?"

"Err… no one's given us orders," Vigor offered.

"D' I really have to?  Go wreck some havoc!  Destroy something!"

Vigor looked insulted.  "Destruction isn't in my job description."

"Then go be vigorous about something!  What do I care?  Just _work_!"

The two Lower Demons skittered off.  Blaze gave a heavy sigh, then returned her mind to her duty.  She wasn't at all looking forward to it.  She raised on enormous clawed hand and rapped on the large bronze door.

There was a scream, then the unmistakable crash of something hitting the door and shattering.  "Go away!" came the petulant order from within.

"My Lady…"

"Now!"

Blaze sighed again.  _Knew I should have made Havoc do this…_ She rapped on the door again.  "My Lady, it's important!"

The door swung open.  Blaze did a check to make sure there were no vases, candelabras, or cauldrons aimed at her head, and then entered.  She dropped to one knee in front of her Goddess, who was currently slouched in her throne with one leg draped over the armrest, sulking.

"My Lady, we think we have news… as t' the abduction of your Daughter."

The red eyes flashed to an excited golden shade.  "Really?" Chaos exclaimed, sitting up straight.  "Where is she?"

"We don't know that, yet, but we think we've got 'er down to th' mortal plane of Kavran."

"Kavran… do they know about Us there?"

"Some do.  Some just won't admit it.  Your Light Sisters have a number of followers there, in th' land called Talsyra.  Your Sister Death seems t' have a following to th' north of Talsyra, in a place called Misok."

Chaos nodded.  "See what you can find out."  
"Yes, My Lady."  Blaze kowtowed, then swiftly left the room, not wanting to outstay her welcome.

When the Demoness had gone, Chaos picked something off of a table and toyed with it.  The Red Necklace had been left when Cassandra had been abducted.  Obviously, Life and Nature feared the power it had, even when taken out of the divine realm.  Chaos clasped the enigmatic red gem in her palm.  _If I can find her… I must get this back to her… this will return her to me!  No matter what Life and Nature have done to her, this will bring my Daughter back to me!_

~~*~~

By the time Cassadraine was eight years old, she was as beautiful a child as anyone could ask for.  She had grown strong and healthy, with sun-bronzed skin and a hearty flush in her cheeks.  Blond curls bounced whenever she moved, accentuating her merry skipping motions, and she looked out at the world through jade-green eyes fringed by dark lashes.  The child's spirit was lively and vivacious; Cassadraine was the darling of the village, adored and spoiled by all the mothers.  All remarked that when she came of age, she would have her pick of the men.  In the L'ai'kiva tradition, the men and women lived separately.  Men were viewed as largely primitive, and lived primarily nomadic lives.  The women built cities, advanced culture, and tamed the wild forests.  When the season was right, the men joined the women in the cities, and nine months later, there would be a new crop of babies.  The women did the choosing; L'ai'kiva women were not prizes to be won, not rewards handed out or the spoils of war.  Marriage was unknown to them.  A woman who was particularly fond of a man would take him as a consort, and he might even live in the city for a time, but marriage was not part of the culture.

Among the duties of women – particularly those related to mages – were to learn basic spells and herbology.  Tessan and Selma had always taught their skills to whoever desired the training, but now found that they had a child who had to learn the craft for her own good.  Cassadraine had always been a precocious child.  She had mastered basic telepathy at the age of four, and simple telekinetics not long after that.  She seemed to have a special affinity with animals – most notably the wolf cub she had brought home when she was six years old – and preferred to spend her time outside, communing with the world around her.  All of this suited Tessan just fine.  It was when the eight year old girl suddenly developed an affinity for telepyrotechnics that she became worried.

"Aym Tessan!  Aym Selma!  Look what I can do!"

The backyard suddenly erupted into a colorful blaze.

"So much for the elm tree," Tessan remarked.

"Oh!  Cassadraine!  Don't _do_ that!"

"It was bound to happen sooner or later."  While Selma was retrieving the child and dragging her into the house, Tessan quite calmly waved a hand and extinguished the fire with a gentle rain shower.

"Cassadraine, you really mustn't do that!" Selma tried to scold.  "You can't just go around creating conflagrations at will."

"Yes, I can!" Cassadraine insisted.  "Look!"  She started to point a finger at a house plant, but Tessan scooped her up before she could do any damage.

"Cassadraine, sugar, we need to have a talk."  She set the girl down on the kitchen counter.  "What Aym Selma meant to say is that it isn't right to burn things just because you _can_.  It's a misuse of your powers."

Cassadraine looked confused.  "But why do I have these powers if I'm not supposed to use them?"       

"They may benefit you some day, sweeting," Selma added.  "Just… not right now."

"There's a time and a place for all magic.  The middle of a battlefield, maybe, or if you're fighting to protect someone you love.  Those are the right times to summon a blazing inferno."

"A warm Saturday afternoon in our backyard is not."

"Oh.  I see."

"Besides which, darling," Tessan said, tucking one of the unruly blond curls behind Cassadraine's ear.  "You've got to learn to properly control your powers before you can use them whenever you feel like it.  You've got to study."

"Teach me, Aym Tessan!  Teach me!"

Tessan smiled.  The little girl was so inquisitive, so eager to learn.  "Not right now, darling.  Selma and I have to start dinner."

"Soon?  Will you teach me soon?"  
"Of course, little one!  Of course!" Selma exclaimed as she tied an apron about her waist.  "Now, how'd you like to help me make some gingerbread?"

"Ooooh!"  Cassadraine clapped her hands, squealed excitedly, and leapt off of the counter.

Tessan smiled to herself and leant against the wall, folding her arms.  _The little dear… hasn't got a clue who or what she is… and it must stay that way… if she knew…_  She shook her head and reached for her own apron.  _Dear, dear Cassadraine…_  Tessan thought often of the serious nature of the charge they had been given.  They had received no further instructions from the Goddesses in the eight years since finding the golden-haired babe on their doorstep, but Tessan and Selma had taken it upon themselves to cast protection spells over the house and the surrounding area.  They hoped that Cassadraine would stay within their sphere of defense, but Tessan often wondered and worried what would happen when the girl was grown and ready to leave the nest.  _How are we to keep her safe then?  _She looked over at the bouncing, giggling girl, eager to help her Aym Selma bake.  _We must simply raise her the best we can… so that when she does go out into the world by herself… she will be prepared… we must teach her our ways… so that if she is temped by the Dark powers when she is older… she will have the strength to turn her back to them…_

"Aym Tessan!  You look so serious!  Come!  Bake with us!"  Cassadraine was already covered in flour, an accident which had happened just opening the sack.  The little girl loved to cook, though Tessan honestly didn't know if it was out the joy of the culinary process or the joy of making a mess.

"Alright, _paola_.  I'm coming, I'm coming.  Try not to get molasses in your hair, it took ages to wash out last time."

~~*~~

"She seems to be doing alright," Nature said.  "Except for that fire incident… but the mages handled it quite well."

Life sighed.  "Are you _sure_ we've done the right thing?"  
"We did the only thing we could do to save Auraeria and Fremoth.  If you hadn't noticed, Chaos has been unusually subdued ever since she lost her Daughter."

"Wouldn't you be?"  Life was still for a moment, then stood.  "Which reminds me.  I've got some blueprints I need to finish."

"Oh?"

"Yes… I've decided I'm going to have a Daughter of my own."

"For your Opera?" Nature asked.

Life smiled serenely.  "You'll see… she has a purpose… you'll see.  But I need to get back to work on the sketches.  Creating a Human is a very delicate business, you know.  And Chaos claimed to have done it so quickly…"  She shook her head; there was a warm burst of light and a gentle breeze, and She was gone.

_[A/N:  Please review!  Did you like the aunts?  I love the aymas.  They're wonderful._

_[Anyone who wants to know what's going on with Life creating a Daughter ought to go read Waiting for Twilight by Christine Persephone.  It's on ffn.  I'm going to occasionally reference things that happen in there, and sooner or later it'll be important… so I highly suggest reading Waiting for Twilight.  And Regina Perditorum.  And The Summons as soon as it's back up somewhere._

_[Next time… Chaos has an idea!  (Which takes longer than it ought to).  What exactly happens with the Red Necklace?  And what happens when Cassadraine comes of age and finds herself wanting for male companionship?  ::grins::  Tune in!  I can't promise when I'll have the next chapter out… school and all that… but in the meantime, review!]_


	6. Sweet Invocation of a Child!

_[Authoress's Notes:  Obligatory chapter before I get to the really juicy stuff._

_[Thanks to everyone who's been giving me reviews!  You make me happy!  And to everyone who doesn't review… you make me sad.  :(_

_[Random aside to Kristen: ragazza_

_[Read on!]_

**Chapter Seven**

"Bring this woman to evil for your good" 

_~~The Merry Wives of Windsor, III.v., Falstaff_

Puck flitted through the forest.  "The Great Lady is going to be very disappointed if I don't find the girl," he said to himself.  "Though what this necklace is supposed to do…"

He had been searching Kavran for weeks on end, it seemed.  Granted, he had taken frequent stops to bully tailors, annoy artisans, and bother shepherdesses.  He was Chaotic of alignment, after all, and could not be expected to keep his attention focused in one place for very long.  He doubted Chaos herself could concentrate so hard.  But he had been gone for a while, even by immortal standards, and Chaos was bound to notice his prolonged absence sooner or later.

He was somewhere between the mountains and the river when he stumbled across a girl sitting in what appeared to be her front yard.  She was pretty enough, but not the sort of maid he usually liked to torment, and would have taken no further note of her had she not shifted to one side and caused the strap of her bodice to shift a little, exposing her collarbone.  "Say, now…"

He darted a little closer, to try and get a better look at the girl.  "Vilariat!"  Sure enough, etched on the front of the girl's shoulder was Chaos's mark, penned in a bloody red.  "Now… how to go about this…"

Cassadraine was sitting on her front stoop, enjoying the gentle morning sun.  She released a small sigh as she looked up at the white fluffy clouds which were drifting over the cerulean sky.  _Any day now, aymas…_  The aymas were drilling Etien for information, regarding where he was from and where he'd be taking their niece, and when he intended to have her safely back home.  Mostly Selma was doing the questioning, and Tessan was doing the sitting aside and snickering.

Suddenly, much to Cassadraine's surprise, there was a strange little man dressed in some strange sort of red fabric standing in front of her.

In the blink of an eye, Cassadraine had whipped a dagger out from her left boot and was holding it threateningly at the man.  "Who are you and how the hell did you wind up on my front yard?"

He just smiled.  "Peace, good lady.  I mean you no harm."

"I'll just bet."

"Easy, easy… my name is Robin Goodfellow."

Cassadraine blinked.  "The faery?"

Nod.

"Prove it."

Puck snapped himself out of existence again, reverting to fey form.  He dashed three circles around Cassadraine, leaving a trail of scarlet dust in the air, and then resumed human form in front of her.  "Believe me now?"

"Sure… why are you here?  Shouldn't you be off curdling milk?"  
"Actually, I'm here on a mission.  From…"  He hesitated.  He wasn't sure he was supposed to tell the girl he was sent by the Goddess Chaos.  "From your Mother."  There.  That wasn't a lie, and it wasn't the whole truth, either.

Cassadraine stood up quickly.  "My mother?  But—my mother's a… a…"  She looked down into her hands, running her thumb over the edge of the blade still clenched in one.  "You must be mistaken.  My mother doesn't know faeries.  My mother's a whore."

Puck just smiled.  "Perhaps.  Perhaps not."

"What do you…"

"It's not important."

Cassadraine narrowed her eyes.  She didn't like being cut off, and she didn't like being made fun of, and something in the spirit's eyes told her he was enjoying a little joke at her expense.  "Look, why are you here?"

"To give you something."

"What?"

Puck reached into a pocket on the inside of his garment and pulled out a leather cord.  Hanging from it was a red gem, sparkling and shining, refracting the morning sun into a thousand slivers of crimson light.

"Ohhh…"

"You like it?"  
"It's… it's…"  Cassadraine didn't know how to describe it; words failed her utterly.  _It's part of me… it belongs with me… I have always had it, though it was not here… I must have it now!_  "It's beautiful beyond thinking!  Give it here!"

She was expecting some kind of a protest, but the faery held it out for her.  "Take it, then.  It's yours."  Cassadraine reached out and grabbed the necklace greedily.  She inspected the golden clasps for a moment, toyed with the gem itself.  "A gift from your mother."

Then he grinned.  "Aren't you going to put it on?"

Cassadraine looked at him, wide-eyed, then over her shoulder at the house.  She wasn't sure her _aymas_ were going to approve of her taking jewelry from strangers.  But then she looked at the red stone again, and there was no decision to be made.  She simply had to wear it.  The gem called to her, seemed to whisper her name.  She could see her eyes reflected in it, but modified, gold and glowing.  _This is what I've been seeking…_

She unhooked the clasp and fastened the necklace about her throat.

There was a flash of red light that filled the entire surrounding space, and a piercing howl which echoed far into the distance.  Cassadraine seemed to see flames dancing before her eyes.  When her vision cleared, the yard was normal, but Robin Goodfellow had disappeared.

"Cassadraine?  Cassadraine, what's happened?"

Cassadraine quickly tucked the red gem into her bodice, hoping her aunts wouldn't notice it.  "What do you mean, Aym Tessan?"

"I heard a noise."

Cassadraine shrugged innocently.  "Must've been the wind…"

~~*~~

Chaos was in the middle of a smashing game of wizard's chess when She suddenly looked up, startled by a thought which had entered her mind.  "She's back!" She exclaimed aloud.  The demon She was playing with looked more than mildly startled when the Goddess leapt up, moved a bishop, shouted, "Checkmate!" and dashed out of the room.

"She's back!  I've got her back!"

"Indeed, My Lady."

Chaos turned around.  "Puck, you should know better than to sneak up on me."

"Most humble apologies, Greatest of the Goddesses, Mistress of Fire and Flame, Lady of—"

"Skip the formalities, Puck."  Her eyes gleamed with interest.  "Did you do it?  Does she have the Necklace?"

Puck gave a mocking bow.  "My Lady, how could You ever doubt me?  I delivered the Necklace to Your Daughter, and she is wearing it even now."

"Oh, Puck, I could kiss you!  I won't, of course, but I could!  She's mine again!  Now, to give her some…"

"My Lady!"

"What?"  
"I would be cautious."

Chaos gave him an irritated look.  "You are cautioning _me_?"  
"Great Lady, she is not the Daughter you knew.  She still has many elements of the Chaotic about her, but I was watching… Your Sisters really did a number on her…"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it might be wisest to… monitor her thoughts for a while first, before delving in and trying to communicate with her."

Chaos hesitated for a moment.  "Of course!  I was just going to say that!  You didn't let me finish, Puck!"

"Apologies, My Lady, most sincere and unworthy apologies…"

"Shut up."

~~*~~

"I still think we used tae much blue ink…"

"Oh, nonsense."

"Three bottles, Life?"

"It was necessary."

Life and Nature had been keeping up with Cassadraine and Etien, down on Kavran.  "They seem to be getting on quite well, don't they?"

Nature nodded.  "Aye, tha' they do…"

"But… is it just me… or is she acting…"

"It's nae just ye."

As the two Goddesses looked down, they could nearly see the change in Cassadraine.  Her aura, which for seventeen years had been an aureate glow, was beginning to take on a strange reddish hue, as was her hair, oddly enough.  It had only been a few days since she had met Etien, but she was acting differently.  For one, she was showing untoward interest in the man.  Yet it was not this but a newfound mean streak, a touch of cruelty in her words which worried Nature and Life.  And the Goddesses were not the only ones to notice.

"Tessan, do you think maybe we were wrong about this—"

Tessan waved a hand to silence her sister.  Twilight had fallen, and she knew Cassadraine and Etien were coming up the front walk.  _About this man?_ Tessan finished for Selma.  _No, no, I don't… I think it's something different…_

_But… I mean, this new behavior of hers… it_ did _coincide with his arrival…_

_Coincidence._

_There's no such thing, and you know it._

_Well, I don't think it's his fault._

Cassadraine was laughing when she and Etien entered the house, but it was not the light, merry laughter to which the _aymas_ were accustomed.  It was darker, heavier, and testament to the changes within her.

Etien had been gaping at Cassadraine all day.  He knew he should have been paying stricter attention to his work, but he couldn't help it.  The brazen female was utterly captivating.  He managed to pay attention when she was explaining the territory to him, though; she truly did know every nook and cranny of the region, every hollow tree, grassy ridge, and rocky chasm.

Cassadraine had spent the majority of the past few days with Etien.  He pitched a tent in the Aymas' backyard, ate breakfast with her in the morning, and then they set out in the morning.  Often they did not return until long after the sun had set, but the Aymas kept dinner warm for them.  Then Etien would retire outside, Cassadraine to her room.

On this particular day, however, when Etien went to his tent, the aunts stopped Cassadraine short of going to her room.  Tessan was giving her a cross look.  "Cassadraine, a moment."

"What?"

Tessan set her jaw at the way Cassadraine was snapping at her.  "We're a bit worried about the way you've been acting lately."

"Oh?"

Selma bit her lip.  _Tessan, this isn't our Cassadraine.  Not our little girl…_

_I know, Selma, I know._  "Cassadraine, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're sullen," Selma prodded.  "And short-tempered.  That's not like you, dear."

"What d'you know about what's like me?"

Tessan crossed her arms.  "Young lady, we've raised you for seventeen years, I think we know—"  She cut herself off mid-sentence.  "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That.  Around your neck."

Cassadraine's hand flew to the pendant about her throat.  "A necklace."

"Well, we figured that much.  Let me see it."  When Cassadraine hesitated, Tessan's fingers shot out and grasped the leather cord lightly.  She pulled the red gem from where it had been hidden inside Cassadraine's tunic. 

"Oh!" Selma gasped.  _Tessan!_

_I know, I know, I…_  Tessan shook her head.  "Cassadraine, where did you get this?"

"Nowhere special."

"Cassadraine, right now!  This is important!  Where did you get this?"  
"A faery gave it to me!" she snarled, impressed with herself for telling the truth in such a way that surely her aunts would think it was a lie.

Instead, Tessan and Selma just exchanged glances.  _You don't think…_

_Oh, I wouldn't put it beyond Her._

With one sharp yank, Tessan snapped the cord off of Cassadraine's neck.

"Hey!"

"Cassadraine, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into."

"It's just a necklace, Aym Tessan."

"Let me guess," she said, grasping the red gem tightly.  "This faery… took human form.  Red garments, I'm guessing.  Dark hair?  Gold eyes?"  Cassadraine gaped.  "From your slack jaw, I'm going to assume I'm right.  Cassadraine, this necklace is dangerous."  
"But why?"

"Because…"  Tessan was at a loss.

_Tessan, should we tell her?_

_How can we?_

_She ought to know… if she's to protect herself, she needs to know…_

_And admit that we've been lying to her for years?_

_I think so._

Tessan looked at Selma, then at Cassadraine, then sighed.  _Soon.  We'll tell her soon.  We've got to think of a way to do it… discuss it between ourselves first._

Selma nodded.  "Cassadraine, dear, it's been a busy day for you, I'm sure.  Go to bed now.  We'll explain everything in the morning."

Amazingly, Cassadraine nodded and obeyed.  The defiance was fading from her already, which, though comforting, only augmented Tessan's fears about the necklace's origins.  She uncurled her fingers and gazed down at the crimson stone resting in her palm.  "Oh, Selma… how do we protect her against a Goddess?"

[A/N:  I'm out of school now, so updates should be more frequent and chapters should be better.

_[Next time… what happens when Cassadraine and Etien start spending a *lot* more time together.  ::cough cough::  What's Tessan going to do with the Necklace?  And is Chaos going to let her get away with it?_

_[Review!  Please!  I'll love you forever!]_


	7. We Were Strangers, Starting Out On Our J...

[Authoress's Notes:  I'm very proud of myself for getting two chapters out in one day.  Of course, most of this one was already written… please review!  If the chapters outnumber the reviews for very long, I'll be very sad.

_[I really like this chapter._

_[Random aside to Christine: Because, for some reason, they always meet in very odd ways._

_[Random aside to Jamen: Ditto to Christine's random note to you in Chapter Eight of Regina.  If you're reading, do me the courtesy of letting me know you exist, please!_

_[Enough said.  Read on!]_

**Chapter Six**

"We were strangers, starting out on our journey 

_Never dreaming what we'd have to go through"_

_~~At The Beginning, Anastasia_

"She's getting worse by the day, Tessan."

"I know, Selma, I know…"  Tessan gave a heavy sigh.  "I fear we may have failed Them…"

"No!  No, don't say that."

"Oh, but, Selma… it wasn't so bad up until a couple years ago… but when she hit puberty…"

"I know.  But… oh, we can't give up yet!"

"But, Selma, she's an adult now!  What else can we do?"  
Selma looked down at her knitting.  "She hasn't shown any sign of wanting to leave.  We can still help her."

"But how, Selma, how?"

"There must be a way."

"I fear we may have done all we can.  Anything else… may be up to someone else."  
Selma gave her a strange look.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean… if she were to find a consort…"

"Oh!  Tessan!  She's only just turned seventeen!"

"We must do what we can.  If we can find her a consort who would be a good influence on her… some noble, chivalrous man…"

"Tessan, if we knew any of those, we'd've had consorts ourselves long ago."

"But this new generation may be different.  There must be a man out there for her, Selma.  There just must be…"

~~*~~

Nature had been scratching things down on paper for days, blueprints and sketches and lists, trying to design a match for the Daughter of Flame.  "Bother, bother…"  She had a small list of things which she thought really had to be included, from herself and Life and Death, but She couldn't finish off the ingredient list.  For one thing, she needed contributions from Chaos… who was not, she supposed, going to fork them over willingly.

"Well?  Have you got it?"

Nature looked up at her Sister.  "Well… ye see, there's got t' be more than him than this…"

Life picked up the list.  "Bronze, iron… black dragon's blood, eww… a stone well-washed by a waterfall from Fremoth…"

"For steadiness."

"Ah.  Pyrite… oh, that's from me!"

"Aye."

"And… blue ink?"

"He's going t' need t' be protective.  Especially wi' tha' girl…"

Life nodded.  "There's nothing here from Chaos."

"I know… I figure… there 're going t' need t' be some things in 'im tha' were also in Cassandra…but we dinnae know wha' those are…"

"I do."

Life shrieked a little, startled by her other Sister's entrance.  Nature just blinked.  "Death.  Glad ye could make it."

"You _invited_ Her?"

"O' course."

"But… does she know what we're doing?"

"Aye."

"And she agreed to help?"

"Aye.  Figured Chaos had it comin'.  An' we need her help, like I tol' ye."

Death smirked.  "Of course you need my help.  How were the two of _you_ going to make a creation with a bit of darkness in him?"

"Nae th' same darkness yer Son had in 'im, mind ye," Nature said.  "This one cannae be so burdened."

Death raised an eyebrow, but nodded her assent.  "He won't be like my Son, I promise."

"Alright, then.  What else does th' lad need?"

Death looked over the list.  "You mean to meld bronze and iron?  Well, that's… an idea."  Nature just nodded.  "But he needs more balance… something that isn't metallic.  I would suggest wood from a tree in Tyrzenor."  She tapped one black-painted fingernail against her chin.  "That'll do well to give him some emotional depth, as well."

"Do… do you know what Chaos put in Cassandra?" Life timidly ventured.

"Parts of it… if you're aiming to make them similar… well, the dragon's blood will do that… though I think hers was red… but that'll do.  Bloodwine.  There was a lot of bloodwine in her.  Essence and passion, She said.  And… clippings from a lion's mane, for pride and charisma.  That's all I can really remember…"

"Alright… can ye go get th' ingredients we need from Chaos's workroom?  And yer own?  Life an' I will get our own t'gether."

Death nodded, and in a moment was gone.

When all three reconvened, Death had brought the ingredients She had been sent for and a few others besides.  "The clouds which covered a full moon… and a Raeglythan midwinter midnight, for mystery.  If he's going to have that much charisma," She said, pointing to the _17_ written down on Nature's paper as the man's charisma quotient, "it ought to be mysterious and not just plain amiable."

Nature nodded.  "What else 've ye got there?"

"From Chaos, a ripe thundercloud.  For… temperament."  _And temper,_ she silently added.  She had also neglected to mention that the clouds she had selected would grant the man considerable deception skills.  "What have you got?"

"Well… th' bronze, f'r one… th' stone… a violet thread spun by one o' my nymphs."

"For…?"

"Nobility, o' course!  He needs t' be a noble character.  And, for courage and valor, a dragon heartstring."

"Oh!"

Nature gave Life a Look.  "He died o' natural causes."

"Good."

"An' one las' thing…"  Nature produced a loaf of bread.

Life giggled.  "You're _not_ serious," Death challenged.

"O' course I am!  This'll keep 'im grounded, keep 'im simple… in a good way.  She's so very complicated… he'll need to counter tha' in some way."

Life nodded.  "That makes sense, I suppose… well, I've got the pyrite you asked for, and the blue ink… I also brought the talons of a gryphon… well, the clippings, really, he needed a trim… loyalty and ingenuity."  Life smiled.  "He must be loyal, of course.  And resourceful, if he's going to deal with Cassandra.  Oh!  And a scarlet pimpernel."

"What's that?"

"A humble wayside flower, nothing more.  But it will give him a certain sense of… _noblesse oblige_."

Nature nodded.  "Good, very good.  Let's go to it, then."

The ingredients were mixed, and then Nature and Life turned back to the sketches and blueprints, trying to settle on what the man should look like.

"Blond hair, I think."

"Nae, nae… russet."

"And eyes of… gold."

"Dim them t' hazel."

"With flecks of gold, then."

While they were discussing his genetic makeup, Death turned back to the mixture, reached inside her cloak, and pulled out a small, squirming lizard.  It had been fished out of the Tyrzen swamps.  _I can't make this_ too _easy on them,_ She thought with a malicious smirk, and tossed the wriggling creature into the potion.  _Let_ that _keep things interesting… after all, I told Chaos to make Cassandra.  Chaos may have deserved to lose her for not keeping a close eye on her… but I wouldn't want to make my dear Light Sisters' job of reforming the girl easier than it needs to be.  They need a challenge.  Let him have secrets, secrets which make him shamed and remorseful.  No matter what the life… let him have something to hide._

"Right!" Life finally pronounced.  "I think we've got it.  Death, lend a hand in the actual creation, will you?"

Death turned back around, glad her Sisters had not noticed her surreptitious contribution.  "Does he have a name?"

"Oh, yes.  We're calling him Jamen.  Isn't it lovely?"

"… Sure."

"But we're going t' think o' summat else for th' first mortal life," Nature said.  "Tha's just his residual name."

"Very well."  Death raised her hands, black fabric draping from her arms, and prepared to assist in calling the man Jamen into being.

~~*~~

On Kavran, the world was no longer quite so simple and plain as the Light Goddesses would have liked.  War had broken out between the nation of Talsyra and their northern neighbors, the Misokans.  The L'ai'kiva peoples were caught up in the middle of it, as their lands came nearly to the Misokan border, but most preferred to let the Talsyran armies handle the danger, and keep their attentions focused on their homes.

It was hard to ignore the crisis, though, with scouts and troops roaming the lands between the Red and White Alienor Rivers.  Such movement of the armies had not been seen in ages, since the last Great War with the Misokans.  The grudge went back millennia, so far that no one could remember why the two countries hated each other.  But they did, and every once in a while one nation would attack the other, and the wars would start up again.

The war had dragged on for nearly two years when Etien Aswold was sent as a scout to head north and discover the positions of the Misokan troops.  He jogged through the woods, hoping he was headed in the right direction.  He misliked these forests.  The lowlands between the Talsyran mountain range and the Red Alienor were backwards and strange lands.  Here, one had to fear elves, goblins, orcs and --- 

"Halt!"

Etien whirled.  _And madwomen, apparently._  Before him stood a girl of about sixteen or seventeen summers, dressed in a deerskin tunic and what looked like nothing else, holding a bow, the arrow notched and pointed at him.  Etien dropped his left hand down, nearer to his scabbard.

"Stop!  You will not live to unsheathe it!"

Etien hesitated, then looked the girl over.  She appeared wild and untamed, but strong and fierce.  Her arm muscles rippled, taut as the bowstring.  "I believe you," he said quietly, moving his hand away from the hilt of his sword. "I'll go now."

"No!"  The bow was aimed for his heart now.

"Lady!  Peace!"  Etien fell on his knees.  When he knelt, he found he actually got a better view of the girl, less obstructed by leaves and branches.  Blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders, nearly waist-length and held back with a thin leather strap.

"Who are you?  Why are you on my land?" she barked.

"Only a hunter, lady, straying in the woods.  I did not realize I had stumbled onto someone else's property."

"You are trespassing.  I should kill you."

Etien decided another strategy was necessary.  "You wouldn't kill a noble soldier, would you?"

"Soldier!"  Her eyes flew wide, then narrowed suspiciously.  "Which side?"

"I fight for Talsyra, of course."  He prayed he had given the right answer, and this firebrand before him was not a Misokan sympathizer.

She was quiet for a moment.  "If you're a soldier, where is the army?"

"Half a league to the south," he lied, in case she was a spy.

"You're a scout, then?"

"Aye."

"Why lie to me?"

"So you wouldn't shoot me."

Here she finally put down her bow and leant against a nearby tree.  "I should anyway.  What's the latest news?"

"The Misokans are charging from the north.  If your village is within two leagues of here, you're in danger."

The girl's hand gripped her bow again, a look of terror in her eyes.  "You don't really mean that, do you?  The Misokans – here?!"

Etien noted her fright and nodded slowly.  "That's why I'm out.  Tryin' to find people and warn them."

Her eyes narrowed again.  "Why should I believe you?  You could be a Misokan spy."

Etien chuckled inwardly, appreciating her suspicion and obvious intelligence.  He then spoke to her in the old tongue of Talsyra, a language no Misokan would know.  "Peace, dear lady, for I am a friend, a sword to fight for your freedom."

"It is true, then…" she whispered in the old tongue, then, in modern language, "Oh!  I must go!  I must warn everyone!"

"Wait, lady!" Etien called, jumping to his feet.  "Let me go with you.  I would see the town we are protecting."

She paused.  "Aye, and I suppose you'd do well with a bit of supper in your stomach.  My aunts will have food to spare, I'm sure.  Come on, come on."

The girl took off through the woods, sprinting like a nymph, darting around tree trunks and thorn bushes Etien nearly did not see until it was too late.  "What's your name?" he shouted after her.

"What?"

"Your name?"

"Cassadraine.  Yours?"

"Etien."

They spoke no more in the dash through the forest, not slowing their pace until they reached the small village nestled amid the trees.  "We'll see my aunts first," Cassadraine said.  "They'll decide what and how we should tell the rest of the village."

Etien looked around, at washer women with baskets of laundry on their hips, women sitting out in the sunlight and sewing, young girls playing games in the streets, old women telling stories to babes in frocks.  It then occurred to Etien that there was something strange about this village.  "Err… Cassadraine… forgive my asking, but where are all your menfolk?"

"Oh, didn't you know?  You've wandered into a part of Talsyra that's entirely matriarchal… the L'ai'kiva tradition.  The men have their own village, further off, except for the very young boys who stay with their mothers… they come around on the holidays."

Etien blinked.  _Oh, good… just what I needed to run into… a tribe of radical feminists…_  The L'ai'kiva had for the most part died out in all of Kavran, but he had known that sects survived and thrived in the forests of Talsyra.  He had just never expected to run into one.

Cassadraine's home was on the outskirts of the village.  There was no door, but, like most of the village houses Etien had seen, a leather curtain stretched over the threshold.  It was this Cassadraine pushed back as she entered, calling out, "Aym Tessan!  Aym Selma!  You'll never believe what I've found!"

"Just so long as it isn't another of those little things with wings," Etien heard someone from the back of the house say.

"Now, Selma, she learned her lesson about those after one of them nearly burnt her hair off."

From another doorway appeared two middle-aged women; one was tall and slender, with blond hair that was beginning to gray, and the other was smaller and rounder, her black hair pulled back in a bun so that the silver streaks at the temples showed clearly.  The shorter one had been rubbing her hands in her apron when she entered, but dropped the cloth when she saw Etien.  "Great mercy, she's collectin' men now."

The taller one smiled.  "Find him under a rock, did you?"

Cassadraine grinned for the first time since Etien had met her.  "Nae.  In the shrubs.  Etien, my aunts, Tessan and Selma."  She gestured to the tall one first, then the dark-haired one.  Suddenly Cassadraine seemed to remember her purpose.  "Aymas, Etien's a scout with the army.  You must hear what he's got to tell you!"

Tessan approached.  "Well, missy, you look as though you've been out in the forest for weeks.  Go get yourself cleaned up and we'll listen to this young man."  Cassadraine nodded and disappeared from the room.

"Errr…"  Etien ran one hand through his tousled auburn hair, looking a little nervous.  Tessan and Selma exchanged glances interpretable only to themselves, then flanked Etien and led him to a sitting room.

"You're with the army, then?"

"Come, tell us what you know."

"Alright…"  Etien launched into an explanation of the position and movement of the Misokan troops, completely unaware that the aunts were not even listening to him.

_Are you thinking what I'm thinking?_ Tessan thought at Selma.

_If you're thinking that this man is the answer to our prayers, yes!_ Selma returned.  _Mercy heavens… he is a bit rough around the edges, though, isn't he?  You'd have thought the Goddess could have found a nice boy…_

_She knows what she's doing,_ Tessan insisted.  _Cassadraine wouldn't have fallen for a nice boy.  This one… he's of her spirit._

_Oh, just what we needed around here, more o' that._

_But he's tempered.  He's not completely wild, like she is.  He's got military training in him, and that tempers the storm.  He might even rub off on Cassadraine a bit, if we give him the chance._

_I do hope you're right, Tessan…_

"Aymas, what's for dinner?" Cassadraine interrupted.  She had taken the time to wash up and change into a dress.  Tessan smiled approvingly.

"Chicken, dear."

"Want me to start the fire?"

"That would be lovely."

Cassadraine meandered over to the hearth and started making a fire.  Etien found he could not tear his eyes from her.  The girl in the woods had possessed a sort of wild beauty, an untamed quality that had excited him more than he'd like to admit.  She had been beautiful.  This young woman before him now was too stunning for words.  The emerald green kirtle complimented her eyes perfectly, her blond curls had been brushed out and tied back with a black ribbon, and the dirt and grime had been washed from her face and limbs, leaving only ivory skin and cheeks flushed from the chill in the air.

"You were saying, Master Aswold?" Tessan prodded, though she was grinning at Selma.  _Told you so.  This will be perfect._

"Uh… er… yeah… well, like I said, we're expecting the Misokans to make a full charge southward before winter falls… 'course, they're used to the snow, so it shouldn't slow them down much."

"You don't think they'd come here, do you?" Selma inquired, fanning herself cautiously.

"They might," Etien said.  "I'm trying to decide what route they may take.  It's hard for me, though.  I don't know the land around here well enough to make more than educated guesses."

Cassadraine stood up from the fire, tying an apron around her skirt and then brushing her sooty hands off on it.  "I know the land."

"Better 'n anyone else alive, I'd wager," Tessan affirmed.  "Our little Cassadraine's been wandering these woods since she was knee high to a pup."

Etien blinked.  He'd had an idea, one that would benefit him greatly in more than one fashion.  "You know… I could really use some help… The quicker I can finish these reconnaissance missions, the sooner I can get back to camp and tell the generals how to prepare."

"I could help!" Cassadraine offered.  "Aymas, may I?  I could go out scouting with Master Aswold and teach him about the territory."

Tessan allowed herself a small smile.  "I don't see why not."

"Tessan, are you quite certain?  Wandering the woods with a complete stranger?"

Tessan raised an eyebrow.  "You're forgetting how neatly she dispatched those bandits the time they tried to seize upon her."  _And forgetting the benefits of this situation.  She spends time with him…_

_He might get close to her… I'm just worried about him getting too close…_

_Oh, what difference does it make, Selma?  She's old enough._

_Yes, but…_  Selma looked over at Etien, the gaze Etien was giving Cassadraine, and the flirtatious glances Cassadraine was returning to him.  _Oh, alright._

"Well, Cassadraine, if it's alright with Master Aswold, it's fine with us," Tessan said.

Etien started, wondering how they'd come to a mutual conclusion without considerable discussion.  Cassadraine just smiled, then flickered her eyes over to Etien.  "Well, Master Aswold?  What say you?"

He raised a glass of ale to his lips before speaking.  "I would be honored if you would join me, mistress."

"Wonderful!" Tessan exclaimed.  "You'll stay the night here.  It's too dark to be traveling these woods alone at night.  The two of you can set out tomorrow morning."

Cassadraine tried to hide her disappointment.  _Sooner I get out from under the Aymas' watchful eyes…_ she thought, glancing over at Etien's chiseled jaw and broad shoulders.  _…the better_.

_[A/N:  ::grin::  It gets better.  Oh, it gets better._

_[Just for everyone's reference, At The Beginning is the ultimate Cass and Jamen song.  It just is.  I highly recommend getting the Anastasia soundtrack and listening to it.  (And Jamen looks vaguely like Dimitri.  Because Dimitri is hot)._

_[Next time… what effect will that little lizard have?  How effective is this man going to be?  And where, exactly, is Puck with that necklace?]_


	8. Bring This Woman to Evil for Your Good

_[Authoress's Notes:  Obligatory chapter before I get to the really juicy stuff._

_[Thanks to everyone who's been giving me reviews!  You make me happy!  And to everyone who doesn't review… you make me sad.  :(_

_[Random aside to Kristen: ragazza_

_[Read on!]_

**Chapter Seven**

"Bring this woman to evil for your good" 

_~~The Merry Wives of Windsor, III.v., Falstaff_

Puck flitted through the forest.  "The Great Lady is going to be very disappointed if I don't find the girl," he said to himself.  "Though what this necklace is supposed to do…"

He had been searching Kavran for weeks on end, it seemed.  Granted, he had taken frequent stops to bully tailors, annoy artisans, and bother shepherdesses.  He was Chaotic of alignment, after all, and could not be expected to keep his attention focused in one place for very long.  He doubted Chaos herself could concentrate so hard.  But he had been gone for a while, even by immortal standards, and Chaos was bound to notice his prolonged absence sooner or later.

He was somewhere between the mountains and the river when he stumbled across a girl sitting in what appeared to be her front yard.  She was pretty enough, but not the sort of maid he usually liked to torment, and would have taken no further note of her had she not shifted to one side and caused the strap of her bodice to shift a little, exposing her collarbone.  "Say, now…"

He darted a little closer, to try and get a better look at the girl.  "Vilariat!"  Sure enough, etched on the front of the girl's shoulder was Chaos's mark, penned in a bloody red.  "Now… how to go about this…"

Cassadraine was sitting on her front stoop, enjoying the gentle morning sun.  She released a small sigh as she looked up at the white fluffy clouds which were drifting over the cerulean sky.  _Any day now, aymas…_  The aymas were drilling Etien for information, regarding where he was from and where he'd be taking their niece, and when he intended to have her safely back home.  Mostly Selma was doing the questioning, and Tessan was doing the sitting aside and snickering.

Suddenly, much to Cassadraine's surprise, there was a strange little man dressed in some strange sort of red fabric standing in front of her.

In the blink of an eye, Cassadraine had whipped a dagger out from her left boot and was holding it threateningly at the man.  "Who are you and how the hell did you wind up on my front yard?"

He just smiled.  "Peace, good lady.  I mean you no harm."

"I'll just bet."

"Easy, easy… my name is Robin Goodfellow."

Cassadraine blinked.  "The faery?"

Nod.

"Prove it."

Puck snapped himself out of existence again, reverting to fey form.  He dashed three circles around Cassadraine, leaving a trail of scarlet dust in the air, and then resumed human form in front of her.  "Believe me now?"

"Sure… why are you here?  Shouldn't you be off curdling milk?"  
"Actually, I'm here on a mission.  From…"  He hesitated.  He wasn't sure he was supposed to tell the girl he was sent by the Goddess Chaos.  "From your Mother."  There.  That wasn't a lie, and it wasn't the whole truth, either.

Cassadraine stood up quickly.  "My mother?  But—my mother's a… a…"  She looked down into her hands, running her thumb over the edge of the blade still clenched in one.  "You must be mistaken.  My mother doesn't know faeries.  My mother's a whore."

Puck just smiled.  "Perhaps.  Perhaps not."

"What do you…"

"It's not important."

Cassadraine narrowed her eyes.  She didn't like being cut off, and she didn't like being made fun of, and something in the spirit's eyes told her he was enjoying a little joke at her expense.  "Look, why are you here?"

"To give you something."

"What?"

Puck reached into a pocket on the inside of his garment and pulled out a leather cord.  Hanging from it was a red gem, sparkling and shining, refracting the morning sun into a thousand slivers of crimson light.

"Ohhh…"

"You like it?"  
"It's… it's…"  Cassadraine didn't know how to describe it; words failed her utterly.  _It's part of me… it belongs with me… I have always had it, though it was not here… I must have it now!_  "It's beautiful beyond thinking!  Give it here!"

She was expecting some kind of a protest, but the faery held it out for her.  "Take it, then.  It's yours."  Cassadraine reached out and grabbed the necklace greedily.  She inspected the golden clasps for a moment, toyed with the gem itself.  "A gift from your mother."

Then he grinned.  "Aren't you going to put it on?"

Cassadraine looked at him, wide-eyed, then over her shoulder at the house.  She wasn't sure her _aymas_ were going to approve of her taking jewelry from strangers.  But then she looked at the red stone again, and there was no decision to be made.  She simply had to wear it.  The gem called to her, seemed to whisper her name.  She could see her eyes reflected in it, but modified, gold and glowing.  _This is what I've been seeking…_

She unhooked the clasp and fastened the necklace about her throat.

There was a flash of red light that filled the entire surrounding space, and a piercing howl which echoed far into the distance.  Cassadraine seemed to see flames dancing before her eyes.  When her vision cleared, the yard was normal, but Robin Goodfellow had disappeared.

"Cassadraine?  Cassadraine, what's happened?"

Cassadraine quickly tucked the red gem into her bodice, hoping her aunts wouldn't notice it.  "What do you mean, Aym Tessan?"

"I heard a noise."

Cassadraine shrugged innocently.  "Must've been the wind…"

~~*~~

Chaos was in the middle of a smashing game of wizard's chess when She suddenly looked up, startled by a thought which had entered her mind.  "She's back!" She exclaimed aloud.  The demon She was playing with looked more than mildly startled when the Goddess leapt up, moved a bishop, shouted, "Checkmate!" and dashed out of the room.

"She's back!  I've got her back!"

"Indeed, My Lady."

Chaos turned around.  "Puck, you should know better than to sneak up on me."

"Most humble apologies, Greatest of the Goddesses, Mistress of Fire and Flame, Lady of—"

"Skip the formalities, Puck."  Her eyes gleamed with interest.  "Did you do it?  Does she have the Necklace?"

Puck gave a mocking bow.  "My Lady, how could You ever doubt me?  I delivered the Necklace to Your Daughter, and she is wearing it even now."

"Oh, Puck, I could kiss you!  I won't, of course, but I could!  She's mine again!  Now, to give her some…"

"My Lady!"

"What?"  
"I would be cautious."

Chaos gave him an irritated look.  "You are cautioning _me_?"  
"Great Lady, she is not the Daughter you knew.  She still has many elements of the Chaotic about her, but I was watching… Your Sisters really did a number on her…"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it might be wisest to… monitor her thoughts for a while first, before delving in and trying to communicate with her."

Chaos hesitated for a moment.  "Of course!  I was just going to say that!  You didn't let me finish, Puck!"

"Apologies, My Lady, most sincere and unworthy apologies…"

"Shut up."

~~*~~

"I still think we used tae much blue ink…"

"Oh, nonsense."

"Three bottles, Life?"

"It was necessary."

Life and Nature had been keeping up with Cassadraine and Etien, down on Kavran.  "They seem to be getting on quite well, don't they?"

Nature nodded.  "Aye, tha' they do…"

"But… is it just me… or is she acting…"

"It's nae just ye."

As the two Goddesses looked down, they could nearly see the change in Cassadraine.  Her aura, which for seventeen years had been an aureate glow, was beginning to take on a strange reddish hue, as was her hair, oddly enough.  It had only been a few days since she had met Etien, but she was acting differently.  For one, she was showing untoward interest in the man.  Yet it was not this but a newfound mean streak, a touch of cruelty in her words which worried Nature and Life.  And the Goddesses were not the only ones to notice.

"Tessan, do you think maybe we were wrong about this—"

Tessan waved a hand to silence her sister.  Twilight had fallen, and she knew Cassadraine and Etien were coming up the front walk.  _About this man?_ Tessan finished for Selma.  _No, no, I don't… I think it's something different…_

_But… I mean, this new behavior of hers… it_ did _coincide with his arrival…_

_Coincidence._

_There's no such thing, and you know it._

_Well, I don't think it's his fault._

Cassadraine was laughing when she and Etien entered the house, but it was not the light, merry laughter to which the _aymas_ were accustomed.  It was darker, heavier, and testament to the changes within her.

Etien had been gaping at Cassadraine all day.  He knew he should have been paying stricter attention to his work, but he couldn't help it.  The brazen female was utterly captivating.  He managed to pay attention when she was explaining the territory to him, though; she truly did know every nook and cranny of the region, every hollow tree, grassy ridge, and rocky chasm.

Cassadraine had spent the majority of the past few days with Etien.  He pitched a tent in the Aymas' backyard, ate breakfast with her in the morning, and then they set out in the morning.  Often they did not return until long after the sun had set, but the Aymas kept dinner warm for them.  Then Etien would retire outside, Cassadraine to her room.

On this particular day, however, when Etien went to his tent, the aunts stopped Cassadraine short of going to her room.  Tessan was giving her a cross look.  "Cassadraine, a moment."

"What?"

Tessan set her jaw at the way Cassadraine was snapping at her.  "We're a bit worried about the way you've been acting lately."

"Oh?"

Selma bit her lip.  _Tessan, this isn't our Cassadraine.  Not our little girl…_

_I know, Selma, I know._  "Cassadraine, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're sullen," Selma prodded.  "And short-tempered.  That's not like you, dear."

"What d'you know about what's like me?"

Tessan crossed her arms.  "Young lady, we've raised you for seventeen years, I think we know—"  She cut herself off mid-sentence.  "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That.  Around your neck."

Cassadraine's hand flew to the pendant about her throat.  "A necklace."

"Well, we figured that much.  Let me see it."  When Cassadraine hesitated, Tessan's fingers shot out and grasped the leather cord lightly.  She pulled the red gem from where it had been hidden inside Cassadraine's tunic. 

"Oh!" Selma gasped.  _Tessan!_

_I know, I know, I…_  Tessan shook her head.  "Cassadraine, where did you get this?"

"Nowhere special."

"Cassadraine, right now!  This is important!  Where did you get this?"  
"A faery gave it to me!" she snarled, impressed with herself for telling the truth in such a way that surely her aunts would think it was a lie.

Instead, Tessan and Selma just exchanged glances.  _You don't think…_

_Oh, I wouldn't put it beyond Her._

With one sharp yank, Tessan snapped the cord off of Cassadraine's neck.

"Hey!"

"Cassadraine, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into."

"It's just a necklace, Aym Tessan."

"Let me guess," she said, grasping the red gem tightly.  "This faery… took human form.  Red garments, I'm guessing.  Dark hair?  Gold eyes?"  Cassadraine gaped.  "From your slack jaw, I'm going to assume I'm right.  Cassadraine, this necklace is dangerous."  
"But why?"

"Because…"  Tessan was at a loss.

_Tessan, should we tell her?_

_How can we?_

_She ought to know… if she's to protect herself, she needs to know…_

_And admit that we've been lying to her for years?_

_I think so._

Tessan looked at Selma, then at Cassadraine, then sighed.  _Tomorrow.  We'll tell her tomorrow.  We've got to think of a way to do it… discuss it between ourselves first._

Selma nodded.  "Cassadraine, dear, it's been a busy day for you, I'm sure.  Go to bed now.  We'll explain everything in the morning."

Amazingly, Cassadraine nodded and obeyed.  The defiance was fading from her already, which, though comforting, only augmented Tessan's fears about the necklace's origins.  She uncurled her fingers and gazed down at the crimson stone resting in her palm.  "Oh, Selma… how do we protect her against a Goddess?"

[A/N:  I'm out of school now, so updates should be more frequent and chapters should be better.

_[Next time… what happens when Cassadraine and Etien start spending a *lot* more time together.  ::cough cough::  What's Tessan going to do with the Necklace?  And is Chaos going to let her get away with it?_

_[Review!  Please!  I'll love you forever!]_


	9. You Have Stayed Me In A Happy Hour

_[Authoress's Notes:  The reference section at the beginning of the story now includes a list of things I don't own.  I'm sure that list will get longer and longer as the story progresses.  (Because, oh, this story is going to progress for a while)._

**Chapter Eight**

"You have stayed me in a happy hour: 

_I was about to protest I loved you!"_

_~~Much Ado About Nothing, IV.i, Beatrice_

Etien could not, for the life of him, identify the reason he was so drawn to Cassadraine.  She was pretty, that much was certainly true, but he had known a lot of pretty girls.  A _lot_ of them.  But none had captivated him like she had.

There was something about her spirit, something stronger, something more alive than he'd ever seen.  She was so vivacious, so full of eagerness to live and enjoy life for all it was worth.  He could see the quality of her spirit in her every movement, from the strength evident in her muscles when she ran to the sparkle of her smile when she laughed over her shoulder at him.

"Come on!  I want to show you something!"

"Shouldn't we be getting back by now?" he wondered aloud, then immediately cursed himself for it.  _What, because getting her back home before dark is really a big concern for you?_

"Soon enough, soon enough!"  She turned and bolted through the trees.  Etien never could understand how the girl managed to move so fast, like a flash of fire bursting through the woods.  She was as an oread, a mountain nymph, dashing up the side of the hill with grace and agility.

"Where are you leading me?" he asked, dodging a leafy branch.

"You'll see!"

Etien shook his head as he ran.  _With your luck,_ he thought, _she actually is some ethereal spirit, seducing you to your doom._  He glanced ahead at her, blond curls bouncing with each step and waving in the breeze.  _Oh well._

Cassadraine burst through the edge of the trees and stopped just at the edge of the knoll, looking out at the horizon.  Etien jogged up behind her.  "Wow…"

"Isn't it wonderful?  I've been coming up here all the time, ever since I was a little girl."  The wind whipped locks of hair into her face, and she brushed them back, tucking them behind her ear.  "But I didn't just bring you up here to show you how pretty it is."

"Oh?"

"No.  This stream here empties into the Red Alienor River just at the town of Cor'ran'i.  That's near the Kai'ti'ka Bridge, which is the best way to cross the Red Ali unless you feel like going all the way to the sea crossing near the capital."  Etien nodded along.  Cassadraine was gesticulating in the air, drawing an imaginary map with her finger.  "But if you follow it west…"  She pointed to where the stream twisted and disappeared into the mountains in the distance.  "It starts up at the Taipan… flows right south of the Ay'ta Pass.  I figured this would be a good thing to know… most armies stick to the Red and White Alienor Rivers, but there are so many smaller water sources that the Misokans don't know about."  She chewed on her thumbnail absently.  "They'll be looking for you on the west bank of the Red Ali.  But here?  Never."

Etien nodded.  "You're very helpful, you know that?"

"I've been told," she grinned.

Cassadraine fell back and leant against a tree trunk, still watching the sunset.  Etien, however, was watching her.

"Now, I think it eventually curls around near another stream which feeds into the White Ali… but that's way off in the mountains.  No one in their right mind would go that far into the Taipan.  'Less they had a death wish."

"You should come join the army."

Cassadraine blinked.  "That was random."

"No, not really.  I've been thinking about it a lot lately.  We could really use you… your help.  We don't have nearly enough scouts who know the land very well.  And I'm sure our maps are outdated."

"Well, aren't you going back to your General with a report?"

Etien grinned.  "It's not just that.  You've got the spirit of a fighter in you."  Cassadraine smirked to herself, remembering how they'd met.  "I've seen you with a bow, and I'd be surprised if you weren't just as skilled with a sword.  You belong in the army."

Cassadraine tapped a finger against her chin.  "You could be right… oh, but my _aymas_ would never let me."

"You're a grown woman."

She paused.  The thought hadn't really occurred to her.  Her future had always seemed rooted in Jivata, pinned down to the life of a minor mage and healer.  But now here was a man offering her another option, offering her a life of excitement and danger and intrigue.

While Cassadraine was contemplating his last statement, Etien was regretting it.  The last thing he had needed to do was remind himself of Cassadraine's non-military virtues.  He was really trying very hard not to gawk at the fact that her tunic stretched tight over her chest and was cut short enough to expose most of the toned muscles of her legs.  "So… will you at least think about it?"

"Of course."

"Great."

There was a brief peaceful moment as Cassadraine gazed out at the sky, which had, over the past few moments, erupted into red and purple hues.  "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The refracted sunlight cast an garnet hue onto her curly tresses.  "Yeah… beautiful…"

~~*~~

"What?   Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…"

While Selma was involved in an elaborate mock-fainting scene, Tessan just stood there with her arms crossed, trying to meet Cassadraine's impetuous look with an admonishing one of her own.  "Cassadraine… you can't honestly expect that we'd be thrilled with the prospect of letting you charge off to war."

"But, Aym Tessan, don't you understand?  It's where I belong!"

"Belong?  On the middle of a battlefield?  Bleeding and wounded and oh!"  Selma collapsed into a chair.

"What good am I doing here?"

"More good than you know," Tessan mumbled.

"Aym Tessan, I want to go.  And I want to go with your blessing.  But I'll be going either way."

_She's an adult now, Selma._

_Tessan!  You can't honestly be thinking of letting her go!_

_I've got the necklace safely hidden away.  And hasn't her attitude improved greatly since that happened?  I think this man is good for her… and I think the army might be, too.  Teach her a little discipline._

_But, Tessan, she could get hurt!_

_The Misokans press further south every day.  Something tells me our Cassadraine had rather get herself run through fighting to defend Talsyra than sitting and watching sheep._

_Tessan, how can you say such things?_

_Well, it's true.  If her spirit is calling her to go out into the world in such a way… I think we should let her._

Tessan could hear two sighs from Selma, one physical and one astral.  _Fine, fine… I don't think it's a good idea… but fine…_

Tessan could tell from the way Cassadraine was tapping her fingers impatiently against the wall that the girl knew there was a psychic conversation going on, and that she wasn't a part of it.  She didn't like being left out of the discussion.

"Cassadraine… we have severe reservations…" Tessan began.

"Severe," Selma echoed.

"But if you think this is really what you want to do with your life… well, you're an adult and we can't stop you.  But we can at least let you go with a blessing."

Cassadraine's eyes lit up joyfully.  "Oh, _aymas_, you mean it?  Ohhh!"  She pushed herself off the wall and threw her arms around Tessan, then Selma.  "Oh, you won't regret it!"

"Somehow I doubt that…" Selma weakly muttered.

_Selma._

_She's going to get raped._

_Not with that Etien around, I doubt it._

_It's him I'm worried about._

_But then it wouldn't be rape, now would it?_

_Tessan!_

Tessan smiled.  Selma's offended sensibilities showed on her shocked expression.  Cassadraine was still bouncing happily.  _This should be… interesting._

~~*~~

It may be that the General wants me to keep roaming, get a better feel for the land.  I don't know.  Or he may want me back as soon as possible.  Either way, I'll come back for you.  No more than four days."

Cassadraine nodded.  "Alright… I've got to get some things ready, anyway."

Etien raked a hand through his hair.  "I'd best be going, then.  It's a long walk."  He turned and started down the pathway, but Cassadraine called out.

"Wait!  You can borrow one of our horses.  It'll be a much shorter journey."

"It won't be too hard on the horse?"

"No, no… they're hearty beasts."

"Well… thank you."

She waved a hand dismissingly.  Etien stood under the mid-day sun, watching her and wondering what he was going to do about her.  He knew perfectly well she would be on his mind for the next few days, until he returned.  Part of him wanted very much to have something to leave with, some memory to carry with him as he rode through the night.  _Just one touch…_  He shook his head.  _Don't be a fool._

"Ours are stabled down the street with most of the village horses.  One of the girls will help you.  Just say Cassadraine is lending you a horse."

"Alright… thank you.  See you in a few days."

Cassadraine leant against the doorframe and watched him go.  _Oh, he had best return soon… my days are going to be dull and empty until he's back…_  She didn't know where it came from, this desire to be in his company at all times, but it was a strong impulse and one she strove to obey.  Ignoring it only caused her pain.

~~*~~

"Wait… he's gone?"

The little imp Chaos had sent to spy on Cassadraine nodded.

"But… why?"  
"I dunno.  They didn' fight 'r anything like that… he jus' left.  Took horse an' rided off south."

"But he's gone?"

"Yeah."

Chaos cackled.  She had thought that when Cassadraine had – for whatever reason – stopped wearing the necklace, her mission was going to be harder.  And then She had watched and heard of this man, who appeared to be having a distressingly civilizing effect on Her Daughter.  But now She saw an opening.  "PUCK!"

_[A/N: Right.  So.  That chapter was short.  Oh well._

_[Fooled you with the chapter title, didn't I?  It actually makes perfect sense.  But no, no one is protesting any love.  Yet._

_[Review!  Please!]_


	10. Things My Heart Used to Know, Things It ...

**Chapter Nine**

"Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember 

Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember"__

_~~Once Upon a December, Anastasia_

There was a barn.

Puck really couldn't help it.  He liked barns.  He liked barns a lot.  For such a simple structure, there was so much potential.  And this was a dairy barn, to top it all.  Milkmaids to annoy, pails to knock over, cows to curse, milk to curdle, butter to spill… 

Puck liked barns.

He was creeping through this one when he suddenly saw a crimson stiletto heel stomp down in front of him.  He glanced upwards, to where the straps encircled a well-toned calf, then up the tan legs to –

"Puck, if you look up my skirt, you will never seduce another nymph again."

"Yes, My Lady."  He stood up.  "What do You wish of me?"

"Puck, my Daughter – the elder one – isn't turning out as I'd hoped.  She hasn't been wearing the necklace.  I want you to find out what's happened to it."

"But… My Goddess… I…"

"Oh, stop groveling.  I know you gave it to her.  I want to know what's been done with it since then."

"Ah."

Chaos tapped her toe a few times, then glanced around the barn.  "But you can annoy the cows first, if you want."

Puck's eyes lit up happily.  "Thank you, Great Lady!"

"But then get right on the other task!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

~~*~~

"She's… sulking."

Tessan nodded.

"There's no other word for it.  Our Cassadraine… sulking!"

A smirk crossed Tessan's lips.  "Well, there's only one cause for it.  She's been in a foul temper ever since that boy left."

"Gracious.  She really does miss him, doesn't she?"  
"Mm-hmm."

Etien had only been gone for two days, and Cassadraine had been moping for the better part of that time.  She knew she only had to wait for him to return, and she would be off to her new life, charging towards her destiny, towards valor and adventure.  But Cassadraine had never been very good at waiting.

She slung her bow over one shoulder and took off into the woods without a word to her aunts.  Selma put a hand to her face and shook her head in dismay.  Tessan just watched her go.

She wandered for nearly two hours.  Though she had brought her bow and a quiver full of arrows, she didn't have the heart to track anything.  The village was well-supplied for a while, anyway.  Mostly she was just contemplating, until a small yip interrupted her thought process.  Cassadraine turned around and saw a good-sized grey wolf standing between two trees.  Its yellow eyes were fixed intently on her, and it sat down quite placidly.

"Oh!  Amani!"  Cassadraine dropped her bow and pack and ran over to the wolf, throwing her arms around his furry neck, receiving a licked face in return.  "Amani, friend, how have you been?"  She was answered only with a happy bark and another sloppy wolf-kiss.  Cassadraine had been forced to give Amani back to the forest when he had stolen one too many of Selma's dinners, but he had never forgotten the golden-haired girl who had saved him from a poacher's trap.

"Come on, Amani, let's take a walk."

They hadn't gone but a few steps when Amani stopped in the middle of the path and started growling.  "Huh?  What is it, boy?"

A whizzing red light suddenly made its presence known.  "Cassadraine, is that thing going to bite me?"

It took a moment for the voice to register.  "Uhh… well, that's rather up to him, isn't it?"

"Could you tell him not to?"

Cassadraine shrugged and buried her fingers into Amani's fur at the neck.  "Sit, Amani."  Amani didn't want to, looking at the buzzing spark, but after a moment he obeyed.  Puck then alighted on a tree branch and took human-sized form.  He stayed perched on the branch, swinging his legs back and forth like a child.  Amani growled but did not pounce and knock the sprite from his position.  "What do you want?"

"Why aren't you wearing the Necklace?"

"That isn't an answer."

"I don't much care."

Cassadraine stroked Amani's head for a minute before answering.  "My aunt took it away."

"Why?"

"She said it was dangerous."

Puck nodded.  "From her point of view, that would be correct."

Cassadraine raised an eyebrow.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean…"  Puck swung down from the branch, landing neatly in front of Cassadraine and Amani, who was still growling in a feral manner.  "I mean that your aunts… belong to Ladies who would not want you with the Necklace."

"Ladies?  What sort of ladies?"

Puck grinned.  "Go and find the Necklace, Cassadraine.  You know you can do it."  She just blinked at him.  "Go on.  You know you can look into Tessan's mind and find out where it is and how to get to it.  It's not very well-protected, I can tell you that."  
"And why should I?  If my aunts think it's dangerous, why should I trust _you_ and put it back on?"

He smirked.  Cassadraine wanted to slap the look off of his face.  "Think, Cassadraine.  Can you remember a time before you were alive?  Can you remember your Mother, your real Mother?  Because, you know, you haven't got one here."

"Of course I haven't.  I've lived with my _aymas_ my whole life."

"Only because you haven't got a mother.  You weren't born."

"And you don't make sense.  Goodbye, Puck."  She turned to leave, but the spirit was in front of her before she had taken two steps.

"Ask your aunts," he said.  "Ask them about your mother.  And in the meantime, find the Necklace and put it back on.  I promise everything will make sense then."

"How?"

"You knew you wanted the Necklace the instant you saw it.  Why?  Why did its power attract you?"

Cassadraine wanted to sharply answer that she wanted it because it was pretty, but she and Puck both would have seen that for a lie.  In her moment of hesitation, Amani sprung forward and leapt on Puck, swiftly pinning the spirit to the ground.  Puck grinned, and in a flash of red light, was gone entirely.  Amani looked very confused, and Cassadraine wasn't much better off.  "C'mon, boy…. we'll go home and I'll get you a nice cut of meat…"

~~*~~

Finding the Necklace had been no trick at all.  It had taken a few tries – Cassadraine didn't dare stay inside Tessan's mind too long, lest her aunt realize she was up to something.  She dove in a few times with a good idea of what she was looking for, and by the end of dinner that night, she had found it.  Opening the magical locks on the box had been a little harder.  The box itself was innocuous-looking, small and wooden, painted green with a golden trim.  But the lock was dark black, circular, and spanned the width of one side of the box.

Cassadraine placed her fingers over it.  There was a hole which she initially presumed to be for a key.  But she reached out with her mind and saw the true inner dimensions of the device.  _A hidden combination lock… very tricky, Aym Selma…_ She ran her fingers over the lock.  Carved into the circle were small symbols, rather than numbers.  Cassadraine shut her eyes and let the same unknown force possess her which had led her to the box in the first place.  _Come on, come on…_  A moment more and her fingers flew, turning the lock to the combination before she realized she knew it.  _Ahhh…_

Cassadraine paused for a moment before opening the box.  _Cassadraine, you know if you open this… there's no going back…_  She shook doubt from her mind and flung the top back.

The Red Necklace shined, fairly radiating a crimson luminescence.  Cassadraine took it out and held it, gazing at the scarlet jewel.  _Why?_ she asked herself.  _Why do I want this gem so much?  I've never been one to chase jewels and fortunes… I'd've left Jivata years ago if that were the case… so what?  Why this necklace?_  She held the Necklace up, and the stone caught the light, bathing her face in a red beam.  _Ohh, the beauty… this Necklace… I am meant for it!_  She shook her head.  _That… that's strange… that's what the necklace does to me… makes me crazed, power-hungry, mad… and yet… it is my destiny to wear it… it is part of me… as though my soul were bonded to it… it is the answer… though I don't know what the question is… but it is the answer to what I am seeking… the dreams and visions… all will be made true in this…_  She thought back to what Puck had said, about remembering a time before she was born.  _I do, almost… it's not quite there… as though the memories are tangible, just out of my grasp… things I almost remember…_

Cassadraine unfastened the clasp and was about to bind the Necklace around her throat when the door to Tessan's room swung open.  "Cassadraine, stop!"

Cassadraine muttered a curse under her breath.  She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't kept up her psychic defenses.  "Eavesdropping on my internal monologues again, Aym Tessan?"

"Cassadraine, you mustn't put that on!"  Selma appeared in the doorframe behind Tessan.  "Truly, you mustn't!"

"Why mustn't I?"

Tessan strode forward and made an attempt to take the Necklace, but Cassadraine snatched her hand back.  "Cassadraine, listen—"

"No!  You listen!  This necklace is mine, and you don't have the right to take it from me.  The faery said this belonged to my mother, my _real_ mother.  Then he said I haven't even got one here, whatever that's supposed to mean.  But I'm guessing you know!"

Tessan took a very deep breath.  "That's because your Mother is a Goddess, Cassadraine."

Cassadraine blinked.  And then her jaw dropped.

"Yes, Cassadraine.  A Goddess."

"Not just any Goddess," Selma added quietly.  "Chaos.  Dela.  Ivlana.  Kaistar."

"Wait… d'you mean…"

Tessan sat down on her bed.  "The world is not quite as you imagine it, Cassadraine."

"All the deities of all the religions – L'ai'kiva, Temrol, Saivit – they're all either demigods and demigoddesses, or they're imagined incarnations of the Four Goddesses.  Life.  Death.  Nature.  Chaos."

"They rule over everything.  Death – Dis in the immortal language – is perhaps the most blindly evil of them.  But your Mother, Dela, Goddess of Chaos, Destruction, Fire, Mayhem… She is crazed, demonic.  Wild and unpredictable."

"But… if I'm Her Daughter… how did I come to be with you?"

"We found you on our doorstep," Selma said.

Tessan turned and opened a drawer of her bedside cabinet, and she pulled out a roll of parchment.  "This was with you," she said.  "Read it and see."

Cassadraine kept the Necklace clutched tight in one hand and read the scroll with the other.  "The Daughter of Flame…" she whispered, and something in her soul flickered in recognition.  When she spoke the words, the Red Necklace flared a bit.

"See?  Do you see?" Selma was shrilling.  "It's evil, that necklace is!"  
"But why?  Why would my Mother abandon me?" Cassadraine demanded.

"She didn't abandon you.  You were put into our care by Life and Nature.  Those are their marks, down there at the bottom."

"We suspect you were put here for your own safekeeping.  For your soul's sake."

"My soul!"

"You must understand, Cassadraine," Tessan declared, "your Mother is disaster incarnate.  Life and Nature didn't want you as Her minion."

Cassadraine gazed into the depths of the gem.  "They feared my power…" she said, her voice coming out darker than usual.  The flicker of knowledge sparked in her brain, a glimpse of what she had been.

"Cassadraine, all we know is that we must protect you, keep you from turning evil."

Cassadraine threw the parchment back at Tessan and stood up.  "You haven't said anything to convince me," she snarled.  "There's no good reason I shouldn't put on the Necklace.  What if it's meant to bring me back to my Mother?"

"She's evil!" Selma insisted.

"And you've lied to me!" Cassadraine cried.  "All my life, you've been lying to me!  About who I am, where I come from, my religion, my background, my life!  All lies!  And now you set yourselves to keeping me from my Mother and the truth?  No.  No!"

"Cassadraine—"

"No!"  She stood and defiantly put the Necklace about her throat, fastening it securely in place.  Again, there was a brilliant flash of red light, flooding the room and nearly blinding Selma and Tessan.  When it subsided, Cassadraine was gone, having stormed out in a fury, slamming the door behind her.

In the bedroom, Selma was weeping quietly.  _We've failed, Tessan… we've failed Them…_

_Not yet, we haven't.  There's something special about that boy… that Etien… he's here for a reason.  He's got a purpose._

_One of Dela's demons, more like!_

_No, no… don't you see it?  Oh, you're as daft as a child.  You never were very good at reading auras.  His is brilliant!  Bright blue!  He'll be good for her… he'll save her, I'm sure of it._

_I sure hope so._

Cassadraine had meanwhile torn out of the house and run into the woods, Amani at her heels.  She raced to the top of her favorite hill, overlooking the river.  It was just sunset, the best part of day in her opinion.  She ran faster and harder than ever before, spurred on by her flaming emotions.  At the top of the ridge, she collapsed in a heap, sobbing from a combination of exhaustion and the heartbreak of realizing the women who had raised her had been lying to her all along.  Amani came up and curled up at her side, and she buried her face in his fur.

Because her eyes were squeezed closed, she did not see the red gem on the Necklace begin to gleam with deep scarlet light.  But she did raise her head to the heavens when she heard a voice from nowhere.

_Welcome home, My Daughter._

_[Authoress's Notes:  That was a fun chapter to write.  I hope you all enjoyed it._

_[Next time:  Chaos gets stuck in Cassadraine's head… and how, exactly, does that affect the Cassadraine-Etien dynamic when _he_ comes back?  Check back soon!  And in the meantime, review, blast you!_

_[Random aside to Christine:  It won't be long, mea carissima.  Trust me._

_[Random aside to Kristen:  I wonder how many of these you show up in._

_[Random aside to Jamen:  Get on with it, already!]_


	11. Torn From Forth That Pretty Little Cage

_[Authoress's Notes:  Because there's nothing like a good war to stir things up…_

_[Random aside to Christine – I'm so glad you thought this was worth waiting for!  (Because you readers are going to be doing an awful lot of waiting until I finish this)._

_[Random aside to Kristen – That was the bloody longest review ever at all  in the history of the entire world.  (I'm not prone to hyperbole!)  And now my bloody review page has a higher safety rating than the story itself.  And it *was* a rhetorical question, you twit._

_[Random aside to Jade – there's a reference in one of the early chapters to Cassadraine bringing home a wolf cub.  That's Amani.  He's also archetypal… well, you'll see._

_[Random aside to Spirit – Thank you for being a very faithful reader and reviewer.  You're a doll.  :)_

_[That said, read on, intrepid adventurers!]_

**Chapter Ten**

"Torn from forth that pretty little cage"

_~~Titus Andronicus, III.i, Marcus_

"M-Mother?  Is that you?"

_Of course it is.  And you needn't speak out loud.  I know what you're thinking._

_That's a little creepy, to be perfectly honest._

_I know._

_You… You are what they said, then?  You are… the Goddess Kaistar?  Or Ivlana?_

_In a way.  In My tongue, they call me Dela.  I am the Red Goddess Chaos, Lady of Fire and Flame, Mistress of Storm and Turbulence, Queen of Revolution and Discord._

Cassadraine quaked a little.  Hearing the Goddess's voice inside her head was more than a little disconcerting.  _And I am… Your Daughter?_

_Yes.  My first.  My very first Human creation.  You are my Cassandra._

_Cassandra…_

_You may call me Mother, if you wish.  Or Sa'del._  The breeze around Cassadraine shifted oddly.  _Teira zei Kaindel, zunek Kaindel, lir nafan ro zei xissad.  Bainda zes qell vilarad Ai'lara._

Cassadraine had not learned this language, had never heard it before, yet she knew what it meant.  The words were in her soul and echoed in her mind.  _Yi, Sa'del… yi…_

Go on, my Daughter.  Go about your life.  I shall call for you when the time is right.

Cassadraine felt a little tug at the back of her mind.  A strange force was pressing at her, tearing her between the Goddess and something else entirely.  _Zei Sa'del… I… I do not think I can…_

A red light flashed in Cassadraine's mind before she could finish the thought.  _You are my Daughter and you will obey!_

_I am your Daughter…_ Cassadraine thought, and the glow from the Necklace dimmed a little.  _And it is my life._

In Her realm, Chaos paced back and forth furiously.  "My damn Sisters," She muttered.  "Damn Them… damn Them… They've done too much good to her…"

_Go now!_ the Goddess sharply ordered.  _You will hear from me when I need you._

~~*~~

Etien had become somewhat accustomed to seeing Cassadraine's flushed face and bouncing curls when the curtain covering her home's doorway was flung open.  Indeed, he had been looking forward to nothing else for days.  Instead, he got a middle-aged woman with silver-and-black hair.  "Uhm… greetings, Madam… where is Cassadraine?"

"We haven't a clue," said a darker voice from behind the short woman.  "She's hardly come home these past few days."

"Try looking in the grove by the brook.  Or at the top of that ridge she's so fond of," Selma offered.  "We really don't know."

"If you're around," Tessan cryptically added, "I'm sure she'll find you."

Etien turned away as the curtain swung closed again.  "Hmm."  He looked at the sun and realized it was just after noon.  He thought to check for Cassadraine at the grove first, as she tended to prefer that place of shade and cool during the hot mid-day hours, and the sunny ridge at twilight.

Etien trotted down the woodland path towards the grove, whistling a little tune to himself.  He stopped short when he suddenly noticed a large, bristling canine standing in his way.  The wolf's yellow eyes flashed as he bent close to the ground and growled.  "Err… stay… good doggie…"  He reached over his shoulder for his sword.  He'd fought dangerous beasts before, but something about this wolf's eyes told him this would be a harder fight to win.

"Etien, stop!"  Cassadraine suddenly leapt forward and flung her arms around the wolf's neck.  Etien briefly reflected that he was a bit jealous of the wolf.  "He's just protective," Cassadraine explained.  "I told him to keep a lookout for me."

"This… wolf… is your pet?"

"No, not really… when I was six I saved him from a trapper.  I raised him for a while after that, then returned him to the forest.  His pack is around here somewhere… but he still follows me around the woods every once in a while."

Cassadraine suddenly got a very far-off look in her eyes.  _Keep away from him… he will ruin you… no!  No, he will save you!_  She shook her head and buried her face in Amani's fur.  That had been happening more and more frequently, as though her mind had halved itself into two warring factions.  Fortunately, Etien had been too distracted to notice.

"Err… I'm back!"

She smiled.  "I noticed."

"The General's said I'm to spend another week here, scouting, and then I'm to come back to base – with you."

"Really?  Oh, that's wonderful!"  She leapt up, feeling a sudden urge to embrace him but keeping it in check.  _Yes… he'll lead you to power… follow him for a while, then cut him loose when you're on your own… what?  No!  Go away, you!_

"Yeah… the, er, the General really thinks a lot about your knowledge of the land… he's very impressed."

Cassadraine smiled brightly.  "Truly?"

"Truly."

"Well, let's not disappoint him, then."

~~*~~

As their daily expeditions led them further and further from the town of Jivata, Cassadraine and Etien began riding rather than walking.  Cassadraine rode Brianna, her loyal chestnut mare, and Etien was astride Tiernan, a grey-and-white dappled gelding.  Occasionally Amani would meet up with them, trot at Brianna's heels for a while, then dash off into the wilderness again.

"So, how far is it from here to the White Alienor?"

"Twenty-five, thirty kilometers.  If you head straight south.  It's about fifty kilometers from Jivata to Queran.  Forty, forty-five straight north to the Misokan border."

"And how far to the Taipan?"

Before Cassadraine could get out an answer, she was utterly broadsided by a medium-sized, cloaked form.  She tumbled from Brianna's saddle and hit the ground roughly, the brigand toppling nearly on top of her.  "Cassadraine!" Etien shouted, drawing his sword and dismounting quickly.  He went for the assailant, but his blow was deflected by another blade.  "We're under attack!" he bellowed.

Cassadraine grunted and kicked her aggressor in the stomach.  "I noticed!" she snarled.  She flipped to her feet and grabbed her bow from where it hung at Brianna's side, quickly notching it with an arrow.  The number of attackers had by now increased to five, though one did not make it out of his tree before being shot down by Cassadraine.  Etien sliced one through the stomach, then held another with locked swords while Cassadraine fired an arrow into its back.

Etien hacked at another, wounding him in the arm.  From underneath the bandit's hood came a distressed hissing noise, reminding Cassadraine keenly of a cockroach.  Etien growled and stabbed him through the stomach, then kicked him down to remove him from the blade.

The remaining assailant took to the trees, howling something in an incomprehensible tongue.  Cassadraine fired an arrow at him, hitting him squarely in the shoulder.  He faltered, but did not fall, and disappeared.  "Damn it!"

Etien sheathed his sword and rushed over to her side.  "Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yes… bruised, but otherwise alright…"  Cassadraine was still looking off in the distance.  "What was that all about?"

"Highwaymen, most likely," Etien commented.  "Though I can't imagine we look like a particularly rich catch."

Cassadraine shook her head, walking towards one of the fallen corpses.  "I don't think that's…"  She pushed back the hood from one of the attackers with the tip of her bow, then gasped.  "Mercy heavens!"

"What?  What is it?"

Cassadraine flipped back the hood entirely, revealing a rubbery grey face, lips frozen in an eternal snarl, red eyes bulging and fierce even in death.  Crooked teeth poked out from the mouth, similar in shape to the twisted and pointy ears.

"But… what on earth is a goblin doing this far south?" Etien wondered aloud.

"I didn't think they ever went south of Misok… they hardly ever go there anymore!  I thought they'd all been driven further north, to the Wastelands…"

"You and me both."

Cassadraine looked up at Etien, wide-eyed.  "What on earth would they want with us?"

He shook his head.  "Something about this isn't right… a group of five is an odd size… usually they're either alone or in huge packs… they'd never be this far south, and I can't imagine why they'd randomly attack two travelers."

"You… you don't think the Misokans might've allied with the goblins?"

"Nah… not even they would stoop that low."  Etien scratched his head and tousled his hair.  "It doesn't make sense…"

"We should probably see if there are any more out there."

"Yeah… we'll have a look around… but I think if there were any more, they'd have been with these."

The two scouts jumped back on their horses and started making their way through the forest.  Cassadraine elected to take a few winding routes to check out the area and see if there were any more signs of goblin activity.  When no such evidence was found, Etien and Cassadraine turned north again and headed back for Jivata.

They were still five kilometers outside the city when Cassadraine heard a voice in her head.  _Cassandra._

_My name is Cassadraine._

_No, it isn't.  I named you.  I made you._

_Maybe so, but my name_ now _is Cassadraine._

_Who is that boy with you?_

_What's it to you?_

_I don't like the look of him._

Cassadraine scoffed audibly, causing Etien to look over at her in wonder.  She just shook her head and kept up the psychic conversation with her Mother.  _Sorry, but a Mother who hasn't been around my whole life doesn't get to have a say in who I choose as my companions.  I don't even let my aunts get away with that._

_For which you should be commended.  They are weak and mortal and should be treated as such._

_I'm mortal, too._

_That's what you think._

_Come again?_

_You're only… partially mortal._

_How is that even possible?_

_Well, you_ could _be killed, theoretically.  But you won't die on your own.  I don't even think you'll age past a certain point._

_…Right._

_It's true, Cassandra.  I created you at the age of twenty.  I think my Sisters may have overlooked a few things when they put you in mortal form.  After all, you have no mortal mother.  Why should you have other marks of mortality?  Like the abysmal prospect of aging?_  Cassadraine paused to consider this, and Chaos knew.  _You know, you would never have to age or die._

_If what?_

_If you came back to me._

_How do you propose I go about doing that?_  
_Well, you'd have to sever all ties on the mortal plane, of course.  Those meddlesome aunts and whoever that boy is._

_Look, whatever your plan is, leave them out of it._

_Your aunts knew what they were getting into._

_Etien didn't.  Doesn't._

_Oh, so that's his name?_

Cassadraine cursed herself a few times under her mental breath.

_Surely you can see, Cassandra…_

_Leave me alone.  I've got work to do._

_It isn't important.  I am._

_Go away._

_Cassandra!  I am your Mother and Creator!  Listen to me!_

_No._

_You don't have a choice.  I'm in your head now.  You can't escape me._

_But I can ignore you._

_Try it, dear girl.  See how long you can, with me in your head every hour._

_I've got other things to occupy my attention._  Cassadraine's eyes flickered over to Etien unconsciously.  _So you can just go straight to hell._

_I own hell._

_Well, stay there, then._

_You can fight it all you like, Cassandra.  But you are my Daughter, my exquisite creation, and I will control you again, no matter your will._

But in the back of Chaos's mind flickered a hint of doubt, as She tried to remember the ingredients which had gone into Cassandra.  That had been a very long time ago, especially for a Goddess with such a short attention span.  She found herself hoping She hadn't put in anything which would give Cassandra an undue predisposition towards rebellion and stubbornness.  _Kaza kres… I must have a list somewhere… what_ did _I put in her?  I'll find out… and hope it isn't too late to fix it!_

[Authoress's Notes:  Whee-hee-hee… so… pop quiz!  What *did* Chaos put in Cassadraine?  (please don't actually tell me, *I* know, I want to make sure you do).  Any guesses about what she might have to be afraid of?  (Not you, Christine, or really anyone who read and paid attention to Regina Perditorum).

_[Next time!  More random attacks!  Cassadraine gets a clue!  And… regarding Etien… well… ::plays "Let's Get It On" in the background::  Hehehehehe._

_[REVIEW!  I live off of reviews!  I wither away without them!]_


	12. Too Flattering Sweet To Be Substantial

[Authoress's Notes:

_[Alright, you lot, put away the tar and feathers!  I've finally finished it!_

_[And the way you people were begging me for this chapter (especially Julia and her Oliver-Twist impression), I expect every bloody one of you to review this chapter!_

_[Alright.  So I've got to put a PG-15 rating on this.  At least.  And there's a… well, you'll see.  Another Authoress's Note inserted towards the end.  Explaining things.  Anyway.  (Christine, you should be able to tell when it's heading the direction it's heading and skip ahead if you so desire.  I mean, I don't go into great detail, but I'm terrified I'll spoil your virtue somehow and Erik will Punjab me for it)._

_[And someone is so going to kill me for part of this chapter.  ::grin::  It isn't my fault.  It's Death's.  Get used to it.  Because it's not going to be the last time you'll want to lynch me.  (Look, if I was making this up…)_

_[Read on, intrepid explorer!  And I don't know why random things don't italicize properly, but I've tried fixing it and it failed.  If anyone out there knows why things like size, italics, and bolds never ever upload properly for me, please let me know what I can do to make it better.]_

Chapter Eleven "Oh, blessed, blessed night!  I am afeard, 

Being in night, all this is but a dream

Too flattering sweet to be substantial!"

_~~Romeo and Juliet, II.ii, Romeo_

_I told you he'd be good for her,_ Tessan thought at Selma across the breakfast table.

Selma looked down to the other end of the table, where Cassadraine and Etien were poking each other and giggling.  _I must admit… even with the Necklace… she's been in a fabulous mood all week!_

_You see?  I told you so._

"You don't eat enough," Etien was teasing.  "You're going to blow away in the next strong wind."

"Ha!  I'm stronger built than you are!"  She gave him a playful shove to prove the point.  In retaliation, he threw a biscuit at her head.  "Ack!  Oh, that does it!"  Cassadraine leapt out of her seat and pounced on him.

"Hey!"  She knocked him right out of his chair and onto the ground.  "Alright, you asked for it!  You're not by any chance ticklish, are you?"

"Eep!"

"I'll take that as a yes!"

Etien neatly flipped Cassadraine over and pinned her to the floor, tickling her mercilessly while she squealed and thrashed playfully.  Tessan cleared her throat, shot her sister a Look, and stood and left the table.  After another moment and some psychic prompting, Selma got up and left the kitchen as well.

"No no no no no no no!" Cassadraine was yelping between laughs.  "Stop that!"

"Say please."

"Please!"

"Hmm…"  He paused briefly.  "No, no, don't think I will!"

"Etien!"  Cassadraine promptly threw all of her weight into tossing Etien off of her.  Unfortunately, he still had a firm grip on her waist and one arm, and so the defensive gesture succeeded only in flipping her on top of him.  She was giggling too madly to keep her superior position, and he knocked her back over rather easily.

"Alright, _paola_…"  He was getting ready to tease her some more, but made the mistake of looking down into her eyes.  It was at that moment he realized just how closely they were pressed against each other.

Cassadraine seemed to have realized this as well, and bit her lower lip softly.  This, however, only drew more attention to an area Etien was trying very hard to ignore.  He put all of his weight on one hand, touching her face with the other.  Cassadraine realized with some shame that she was trembling slightly.  For a brief moment Etien leaned in as though to kiss her, but at the last moment, he rolled away and stood up.  Cassadraine, baffled, propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Etien muttered something to himself and raked a hand through his hair.  When he turned back to her, he was again wearing his usual jaunty grin, but it seemed shaky, forced now.  "C'mon," he said and put a hand out to help her up, as though nothing had almost happened.  "If we're riding north, we'd best get an early start."

~~*~~

Cassadraine and Etien spent the entire day riding northwards.  They spoke less than usual, under the pretense of staying alert.  The further north they went, the closer they came to the Misokan border and the Misokan camps.  The real reason for the silence, however, was the tension that had been mounting since the breakfast incident.  Both had laughed it off, but neither could ignore it.

Etien's thoughts chastised his instincts for the duration of the ride.  _You know better_, he told himself.  _You know much better.  She's seventeen.  She's innocent.  And you…_  He glanced over at Cassadraine and sighed.  _What draws you to her?_

Another look held the answer.  It lay in each bouncing golden tendril, in the flash of her eyes when she noticed something moving in the depths of the forest, in the way she chewed her lip when lost in her own mind.  Etien could imagine no girl more beautiful or desirable.  The radiance of her form was eclipsed only by her sharp wit and ready mind.  Etien had to admit to himself that the girl had charmed him utterly.  He had spent most of the day wanting to drag her off her horse and tumble her amidst the bushes, but he had managed to keep that longing in check.  _Seventeen.  Young.  New.  Meant for someone else, not you._

Life, incidentally, had happened to be looking in on Etien's thoughts at that precise moment and burst out giggling.  "Oh, that's _precious_!" She exclaimed.

"What is?" asked Nature, who had been crocheting in the other room.

"Jamen!  Err, Etien, rather.  Is currently having a moral dilemma because he doesn't think Cassandra's meant for him."

Life tittered and expected Nature to join in.  Instead, the Green Goddess frowned.  "Tha' can't be right.  He shouldnae be havin' such doubts."

"Shouldn't he?"

"Well, I c'n understand a little apprehension.  I gather mortals 're rather afraid o' love sometimes.  But thinkin' she's meant f'r someone else…"  Nature shook her head.  "Not right, tha'."

"I wonder why…"

There was a brief moment of silence as both Goddesses contemplated the situation.  "I'm havin' a look," Nature then declared.

"What?  Oh, Nature, reading passing thoughts is one thing, but delving into his mind…"

"Whatever's makin' th' lad have those thoughts might come t' interfere with our plan.  I think we ought t' know."

Life pouted.  "I still don't like it."

"I didnae expect ye would."  Nature sat down and closed her eyes, and She was quiet for a few minutes.  Life just stood there, still and perfect, glossy hair catching the sunlight and shining prettily.

Nature suddenly bolted to her feet, eyes wide.  "Merciful power, Death, what have ye done?" she said in a tight whisper.

"What?  What is it?"

Nature rarely appeared startled.  Generally She was the Sister who kept on top of things.  Even the actions of Her unpredictable Sister Chaos rarely surprised Her.  But Nature turned to Life now with eyes that betrayed her astonishment.

"Th' lad's married."

~~*~~

"I think it might rain," Cassadraine said out of nowhere.

Etien looked up, but heavy foliage obscured most of the sky.  "You think so?"

Cassadraine nodded.  "The winds have shifted.  Look at the way the leaves are tossing about."

Etien looked.  They didn't look much like anything but normal leaves to him, but he had never professed to be very in touch with the natural elements of the world.  "Should we head back, then?"

"That would probably be the best idea… it'll be a long ride… longer if we get slowed down by rain."

They wheeled their horses around and started back towards Jivata at an easy canter.  Etien was contemplating how the next few days were going to go.  He was due back at the military camp in four days – and he was supposed to bring Cassadraine with him.  He just wasn't entirely sure taking a course of action that would likely keep themselves in each others' company for months was the brightest idea he'd ever had.  _Ah, well… what's done is done, I suppose…_

Cassadraine loved riding.  Few things could disturb the joy she felt when astride Brianna.

An arrow grazing her arm was one of those things.

She yelped and immediately began grabbing for her bow, looking for the attackers.  "Etien!"

"On it!" he cried, unsheathing his sword.  Cassadraine wheeled Brianna around so she and Etien were facing opposite directions.  Ignoring her bleeding arm, Cass notched an arrow and held it at the ready.  There was a still moment before nearly a dozen figures, cloaked and hidden as the attackers several days earlier had been, poured into the path.  

Cassadraine started firing arrows in rapid succession, though her wounded arm was affecting her aim a little.  Etien, in the meantime, charged Tiernan towards the assailants, slashing and hacking at them as he went, wetting the surrounding trees with blood.

"Etien, behind you!" Cassadraine suddenly cried as she drew another arrow.  The warning and bolt came too late, and the presumably goblin attacker managed to carve a gash into Etien's shoulders.  He whirled around quickly and gutted the creature, while Cassadraine fired at another one still in a tree.

There was a crack of thunder, and the attackers all paused for a moment, then resumed fighting.  Cassadraine thought this brief interlude was very strange, but it gave her the opportunity to shoot through two more of the goblins.

Etien slit the throat of another.  "I think… that's all of them…" he said, whirling Tiernan around in a circle.  

Cassadraine nodded as she put away her bow.  "Let me have a look at that wound."

"But you're—"

"It's just a scratch," she said, swinging off of Brianna.  "Now get down from there."  She looped Brianna's reins around a tree branch.  Etien sheathed his sword, eased himself off of Tiernan, and did the same.  He sat down at the edge of the road, some ways away from the fallen bodies of the goblins.  Cassadraine pulled something from one of Brianna's saddlebags and sat down next to him.  "Take your tunic off," she ordered, and immediately wished she hadn't, because Etien obeyed unquestioningly, and that made it a lot harder for her to concentrate.  She opened her little parcel and pulled out a small cloth, which she used to dab away the blood streaming from the wound.  The gash was across the back of his shoulder, near to the bone.  "You're lucky this didn't cut deeper," she said as she inspected the damage.  "It might've seriously damaged the muscle."  Etien didn't respond.  "I'll have to get my aunts to take better care of it when we get back to the house," she continued as she began to wrap a bandage around his shoulder.  "It might need stitches."

"Fabulous."

"There."

Another crack of thunder, and suddenly the heavens opened and rain started pouring from the sky.

"Fine luck," Cassadraine muttered.  "Tiernan hates to ride in the rain."

"I wouldn't mind waiting it out a bit, anyway," Etien said.  He glanced at her arm, which was still dripping blood.  "Would you please let me bandage that?"

"If you insist."  She tossed her small bag of medical supplies at him and let him tend to her cut.  "Though I maintain it isn't that bad."

"Why do I get the feeling you'd say that even if you'd just cracked your head open?"  She just grinned at him.

By the time Etien finished mopping up the blood and wrapping the wound, they were both thoroughly soaked by the rain.  Cassadraine leaned back against a tree and tilted her head upwards, eyes closed, letting the raindrops stream over her face and down her neck.  Little droplets pooled on the ends of her hair, clung to her eyelashes.  Etien was glad her eyes were closed, so that she couldn't tell he was gazing at her.

A sudden compulsion moved him to reach out and touch Cassadraine's cheek lightly.  Her eyelids fluttered open, and the look in her sparkling jade eyes nearly unmanned him.  "Cassadraine, I…"  A single blink robbed him of all eloquence.  Despite the niggling voice of his conscience warning him that this was wrong, something deep in his soul insisted it was right, and he leaned in to touch his lips softly to hers.

Cassadraine was utterly thrilled and frightened at the same time.  One of his hands slipped to her waist, and she lay one hand on his bare chest.  He pulled back from her a bit, and she breathed, "Oh, Etien…"

He was about to kiss her again when an especially loud crack of thunder resounded in the forest.  She startled violently, which Etien attributed to the intrusion of the weather.  He couldn't know that she was suddenly hearing her Mother's voice in her head.

_You shouldn't be doing that._

_Who're you to tell me?_

_Your Mother._

_I've told you before, I'm not letting you interfere with this._

_It's a bit out of your control, dear._

Cassadraine had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at the fact that she could hear Chaos's sarcasm even in a psychic conversation.  _Do go away, I'm quite busy._

_So I can see._

Deciding she couldn't possibly have a romantic interlude with Chaos in her head, Cassadraine looked up at the sky and said, "I think the rain is letting up."  It wasn't, particularly, but Etien decided not to contradict her.  "We should start heading for home."

Etien just nodded, more than a little disappointed.  "Yes… we should…"

~~*~~

The next two days passed much as the previous ones had, with no mention of the shared moment.  Both Etien and Cassadraine put effort into acting normal around each other, rather than being awkward.  The charade seemed to be working, and would have even fooled the _aymas_ if Tessan hadn't peeked inside Cassadraine's mind.

_Oh, Selma… we've got to give them a nudge in the right direction._

_Do you think?_

Tessan mentally nodded and set about making plans.  By the time the two scouts returned for dinner that night, she had it all worked out.  She'd managed to transform their dining room into a romantic atmosphere without making it blatantly obvious she was doing so.  She also filled the glasses with a fairly strong wine instead of the usual light ale.

It seemed to be working.  Between the sexual tension already in the air and the atmosphere and the alcohol, Cassadraine and Etien were gazing longingly at each other before they'd finished their soup.  Tessan gave Selma a meaningful look, and they retreated to their bedrooms before Cassadraine and Etien had even finished eating.  _C'mon, Selma… let what needs to happen do so._

Cassadraine's heart was all aflutter in her chest.  She and Etien had had far too many close calls in the forest the past couple days.  She bit her lower lip softly, thinking of when he had kissed her up against that tree during the thunderstorm.

She was unaware of the fact that she was at that moment making Etien want to do nothing more than pounce upon her and ravish her senseless.  _Damn women… always drawing attention to their lips…_  The wine they were both drinking wasn't helping much.  Cassadraine hadn't even realized she'd been handed wine instead of ale until it was too late.  The alcohol was taking its effect on her system, lowering her inhibitions just enough that she no longer cared how forward Etien became.

The oil lamps were running low when Etien walked over to her, took the wine glass from her hand, and said, "You should be going to bed, mistress."  His voice was low and husky, containing a seductive quality which sent shivers down Cassandra's spine.  All she could do was stare at him, eyes wide, lips slightly parted.  Perhaps if she hadn't been quite so overpowered by his charisma, she wouldn't have looked quite so inviting, and Etien wouldn't have had to kiss her.

He really didn't have a choice about it.  Her lips were right there, red and plump and seductive, practically begging to be kissed.  Etien slipped the hand that was not grasping the wine glass to the back of her head, then leant down and touched his lips to hers.  He had intended only to have a taste, to sample what was there so that her image would no longer haunt him with wonder, but once he started, he found he was powerless to stop.  Cassadraine didn't seem to mind.  She returned the kiss eagerly, opening her mouth to him.

Etien would later reflect that had she really wanted to retain her chastity, she shouldn't have done that.  But his thoughts were not so lucid then.  He was devoting all his attention to kissing her as thoroughly as possible.  When he finally drew away, it was only to set down the wine glass so that he could sweep her up in his arms.  He lifted her out of the chair, kissed her neck, then whispered, "Your place or mine?"  

Cassadraine giggled.  "I've got a bed.  You've only a cot."

"But won't your Aymas—"

She smiled.  "They sleep upstairs.  My room is just over there."  She gestured as best she could without removing her arms from around Etien's neck and losing her balance.

"Then just over there we shall go."

With a few quick strides, Etien carried Cassadraine into her room and lay her on the bed.  "I don't understand it," he murmured between kisses.  "But this feels so completely right…"

[Authoress's Note:  Ahem.  Alright.  So.  This is where the camera is going to pan away for a while.  There are two reasons for this.  One is that if I damage Christine's virtue, I will pay for it dearly.  The other is that I don't want to put an R rating on this.  However, this missing scene has in fact been written, and is, in fact, NC-17.  I love smut novels.  So anyone who's really interested, just email me asking for the segment of CICA entitled "That Which Hath Made Them Drunk Hath Made Me Bold."  (Ahh, Lady M…).  Anyone who isn't interested or is Christine, imagine the curtain closing and reopening on the following scene.  End note.]

A time later,Cassadraine was striving to catch her breath, still seeing sparkles and flashes of light in her field of vision.  She pressed a kiss into Etien's hair and draped an arm over his chest.  "Fabulous…" she managed to say.  "Wonderful."  She kissed his lips lightly, cherishing the taste of him.

"Damn straight," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her.  Before falling asleep, he glanced out the window and thanked the glittering stars for whatever twist of fate had brought beautiful, vibrant Cassadraine into his life.

~~*~~

"Married?  _Married_?  Oh, Nature, what are we going to do?"

Nature could do nothing but stand there, shaking her head.  "I dinnae know… I cannae imagine how we might go about fixin' this one… without rewritin' th' past…"

"And We're not supposed to do that!  Not without better reason than this, at least."

There was a flash of bright red, the smell of smoke in the air, and suddenly their Sister Chaos appeared.

"What are you doing here?"

Chaos smirked.  "So, Death told me about the little… surprise… She hid in your Jamen.  I must say, I was pretty pissed at first that She helped y'all out, but when I heard about Her plan…" Chaos cackled.  "She's brilliant, you know!"

"We were trying to make things right for Your Daughter!" Life cried.  "Trying to give her peace and happiness!"

The impudent smirk was still etched on Her lips, making Nature really want to give Chaos a good smack.  "Oh, she's pretty happy right now, I can tell that much."

"Eh?"

"Take a look for yourself, Nature.  But I wouldn't recommend it for Life.  Might scar the poor thing's psyche.  Honestly, how d'you ever expect _Your_ Daughter to reproduce?"

Life blinked.  "What?"

"I dinnae think Christine's going to," Nature said.  "Now what about Cassandra?"

"Just look.  Tap into her mind just for a moment.  And see how she's spent the past few hours."

Nature took a moment to do so, while Chaos stood there with Her arms crossed, a very triumphant look on Her face.  "Ach!" Nature suddenly exclaimed.  "Oh, Chaos!  How could ye!"

Chaos started laughing.  "Thass the best part!  I didn't have to do a thing!"

Life looked confused.  "Nature, what's she talking about?"

"I'll explain it to ye later."

Chaos was still cracking up.  "She's my Daughter, after all!  It figures, doesn't it?  I'm very proud of her, even if she is being an obstinate brat about listening to me!"

"What?  Why?"

"Oh, Life, dearest," a darker voice than Chaos's intervened.  "Precious Cassandra just slept with a married man."

[A/N:  ::hides under a table::  Please don't lynch me!  I wrote it, didn't I?  It's here!  It exists!  That was all you were asking for!

[And, as a random note, I know a lot of people use "Ah" for "I" to indicate a Scottish accent, but I'm an X-Man fan, and "Ah" will always indicate a South'n accent to me because of Rogue.

[Next time… Cassadraine and Etien leave Jivata and head for the army.  And Cassadraine starts losing it.  Big time.

[Review!!!]


	13. New Friends and Stranger Companies

_[Authoress's Notes:_

_[Right.  Well, now that the fallout from the last chapter is over…_

_[I'm really sorry this took so long.  I don't have an excuse.  I really don't.  It may or may not come faster after this.  But you guys are just going to have to get used to waiting, because this story is going to be damn long._

_[That said…]_

Chapter Twelve 

"To seek new friends and stranger companies."

_~~A Midsummer Night's Dream, I.i, Hermia          _

Etien twirled one lock of Cassadraine's hair around his finger.  She was still sleeping peacefully, though the rays of the morning sun were already streaming in through the window and giving an aureate sheen to the entire room.  Etien had been awake for some time, just watching her.  He sighed.  They were due back at the army encampment by nightfall, which meant they would certainly have to leave Jivata by noon.  That, in turn, necessitated getting out of bed a lot sooner than Etien would've liked.

The morning's light held him accountable for the past night's activities.  He was still having a bit of trouble figuring it all out.  By all rights, a married man of his age and experience should not meet a naïve seventeen year old girl and fall hopelessly in love with her a few weeks later.

It occurred to him in that moment that he had not yet said that to her, not yet directly told her how he felt.  The previous night had been full of passion and desire, but neither of them had spoken that elusive word "love."

As he continued toying with Cassadraine's hair, his thoughts drifted to Janea, back in Oltar.  They were so very, very different.  Janea was tiny and pale, with thin dark hair and vacant blue eyes.  She had been timid and lifeless when they had been children, she had continued to lack spirit when they had been married, and Etien very much doubted she'd changed much in the nearly two years since he'd seen her last.  Etien didn't go home on furlough, he went to taverns.  Most of the time, he didn't even bother to remember that he _was_ married.  Not that he shirked his responsibilities.  His wages went to Janea, minus what he spent on wine, women, and weaponry, and he always saw to it that she was well provided for.  He just didn't feel any particular need to spend time with her.

Cassadraine, on the other hand…  Etien was having trouble imagining a future that did not have Cassadraine in every day of it.  And this was causing a bit of distress.  A woman of the L'ai'kiva tradition was a proud creature, and demanded to take the primary position in every aspect of her man's life – regardless of whether or not she had more than one paramour; she expected to be the chief concern of each.  Being first in Etien's passions and affections would never be enough if she were still second to a wife.

Etien sighed and raked his free hand through his hair.  He hadn't decided he how was going to handle that particular challenge yet.  He didn't want to think about it.  He just wanted to stay in bed, playing with her silky tresses, and pretend the rest of the world didn't exist.

The rest of the world, however, felt compelled to remind him of its presence in the form of Cassadraine's aunts loudly starting to make breakfast in the kitchen.  From the banging of pots and the noisy conversation, Etien suspected the _aymas_ were intent upon alerting him to their presence.  He released Cassadraine's hair and kissed her forehead.  "Time to wake up, love," he whispered, shaking her lightly.  Cassadraine murmured something incomprehensible and just nestled closer to him.  Etien groaned.  As much as he loved feeling her warmth against his skin, he knew they had to get up sooner or later.  "C'mon, dearest…"  He shook her a bit harder.  "Time for breakfast."

"Don' wanna…"

"I know, love, I know…" he said, and pressed a kiss into her hair.  "But we've got to get up."

"Warm here…"  Eyes still closed, she wrapped an arm around him, giving a smile like a cat in a sunbeam.

"Yes… but if you don't get up on your own…"

"Not gonna…"

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to do this…"  Etien rolled over on top of her and started tickling her belly.  Cassadraine's eyes flew open and she let out an enraged and startled shriek.

"Oh!  Stop that, stop that, stop that!" she cried between peals of laughter.  "You're horrible!  Stop!"

"Are you going to get up?"

"Yes, just stop!"

He didn't.

"Etien!"

"Say please."

"Please!  Oh, please, stop!"

He silenced her protests with a hard kiss.  "Well," he commented after drawing back.  "If your aunts had any doubts about how we spent last night, they ought to be assured now."

Cassadraine went white and tried to sit up, but Etien was still on top of her.  "Oh!  My aunts!  Oh, good heavens, they're going to—"

"Not be surprised in the least," Etien muttered, kissing her neck.  "I have a feeling they knew exactly what they were doing, leaving us alone last night."

"You think?"

"I think."

Cassadraine suddenly realized there was a naked man on top of her and blushed to the roots of her hair.  Somehow it didn't seem as acceptable with the morning sun streaming in the window.  "Uhm… we should get up… and… put clothes on…"

Etien sighed in resignation and rolled off of her.  Realizing she was probably going to be shy of herself despite the past night, he turned his back to dress, allowing her to do the same.

Cassadraine ran a hand through her considerably tousled hair after she finished dressing, trying to tame it to some semblance of order.  Etien turned around and smiled to see her with her fingers tangled in the blond mass, trying to jerk out a knot.  "Easy, love, you'll yank it right out."

She grinned.  "Not likely.  C'mon, let's go get breakfast."

Even though her aunts had the tact not to mention the two of them creeping out of the same bedroom, Cassadraine couldn't help feeling sheepish when Tessan smirked at her.  They made small chit-chat while Selma dished out breakfast, but finally Tessan could no longer resist the bait – Cassadraine and Etien could hardly take their eyes off of each other long enough to look at their food.  She cleared her throat and asked, "So, did you sleep well?"

Etien promptly choked on his bacon, and Selma's blush matched Cassadraine's.  "Errr…" Cassadraine stammered.  "I, uh… err…"  Tessan just grinned, and Cassadraine occupied herself with a glass of milk.  _I really didn't do that much sleeping,_ she thought.

_No, you didn't, did you?_

Cassadraine nearly spilled her milk.  If anyone else at the table noticed, they must have attributed it to morning-after jitters, because no one commented.  But Cassadraine was trying to figure out how to deal with a Goddess in her head while at the breakfast table.   _Go away.  It's none of your business._

_Certainly is.  You're my Daughter._

_Go away._

_So disrespectful to your Mother?_

_Have you done anything to earn my respect?_

Beneath her chemise, Cassadraine could feel the glow of the Necklace flare with Chaos's anger, and hoped that the light would not shine through the layers of clothing.  _I_ made _you!_ the Goddess's strong voice echoed in Cassadraine's head.  _You should respect me on those grounds alone!_

_Well, bloody fine job you did of it, if you didn't even bother to keep me around._  Cassadraine shoveled food into her mouth, intent on appearing normal to her aunts and Etien.

Surprisingly, there was a pause in the psychic conversation.  When Chaos's voice resounded again, it held a different tone.  If Cassadraine hadn't known better, she'd have thought it wounded.  _It was through no choice of mine I lost you, Cassandra.  It was not my doing._

_Well, you didn't fix it._  Cassadraine realized she was being petulant, but didn't particularly care.

A bright scarlet light flashed in Cassadraine's mind's eye, and the voice boomed, full and imperious, _What need I to?  I have another Daughter, one loyal and true!_  It seemed to Cassadraine then that thunder cracked inside her head, and then her Mother was gone.

_What was that about?_

"So you're leaving at noon?" Selma said, breaking her thoughts.

Etien nodded.  "Thereabouts."

Selma was giving Cassadraine one of her more maternal looks.  "Oh, _paola_.  It shall be so quiet here without you."

"You'll get along just fine, Aym Selma.  I promise."

"But what if you get hurt?"

"I'll do my best not to," Cassadraine said, offering a jaunty grin.  She did not disclose her private belief that she couldn't die even if she tried; her Mother had nearly told her as much.  This bolstered her natural confidence and fearlessness, raising both to entirely new levels.

~~*~~

By that afternoon, Brianna and Tiernan were saddled, their riders packed and ready to go.  After much crying from Selma and much lecturing from Tessan, Cassadraine and Etien were on their way.  Amani followed them to the outskirts of the town, before Cassadraine rounded on him and gave the order to go back home.  "C'mon, boy, you can't follow me all over Talsyra.  Go to your pack.  They need a bit strong mutt like you."

Etien blinked in wonder as Amani slunk away with a truly saddened look on his canine face.  _I will never understand that wolf…_

When Amani, tail between his legs, had finally gone out of sight, Cassadraine wheeled Brianna back around.  "Shall we, then?"

He wanted to kiss her.  He didn't know why, but he very much wanted to.  But being six feet away and on horseback made that a little difficult, so instead he just smiled.  "Yes.  Let's get going."

~~*~~

The two riders arrived at the army encampment well after dusk that night, after more than six hours' journey south and east.  Most of the troops were in their tents already, and Cassadraine had to force herself not to gawk at the lines of beige structures dotting the landscape.  She had grown up in a very small town, and had never seen so many people gathered in one place before.  Suddenly she felt herself very out of place.

_Astounding, isn't it?_

_Oh, what do You want?_

_Just commenting.  Armies are wonderful, aren't they?_

_I'm not going to answer you.  I'm not even going to listen._

_You don't have a choice._

Cassadraine shook her head and hoped that Chaos would have the decency to stay out for a while.  Looking out at the camp, Cassadraine felt as though this ought to be requiring a major adjustment on her part_.  Moving from a tiny village to a huge army encampment ought to be completely unsettling_, she thought.  _I should be worried, nervous… but… but this feels natural._  She tossed her head and looked to Etien, waiting for direction.  She could already tell she was going to fall in with the army perfectly well.

_Almost like you were meant to be here, eh?_

_Would you please stop that!_

_No._  A slight pause.  _It's because you were, you know._

_Were what?_

_Meant for this.  Meant for war.  You were engineered to be the perfect warrior._

_Do go away, I'm quite busy._

_I'll just bet._  Cassadraine could nearly feel Chaos looking at Etien through her eyes, and was suddenly seized with a fierce desire to protect him from her Mother's wrath.  She knew the Goddess would use Etien as She saw fit.  Cassadraine didn't want that to happen to the man who had offered her a chance at happiness just by existing.  She bit her lower lip and uttered a silent vow to do everything in her power to keep Chaos from harming him.

_I thought you were mad at me._

_Huh?  Oh.  No.  I'm done with that now._

_Pity.  I was hoping you'd leave me alone if you were upset with me._

_No such luck, Daughter-dearest.  I'm here to stay._

"General!" Etien called out suddenly, and took Tiernan quickly forward.  Cassadraine followed immediately as Etien approached a tent with blue and gold banners posted beside it.  An average size man with the darkest hair Cassadraine had ever seen was standing in front of it and looked up when Etien called out.  "General Misab, this is the woman I told you about.  Cassadraine Mika.  Knows the land like no one I've ever met."

Cassadraine bent her head respectfully, but any anxiety she might have felt was assuaged by the General's friendly smile.  "Greetings, Miss Mika.  Commander Aswold has told me only good things about you.  I'm sure you'll be an asset to our troops."

"Thank you, sir."

"Aswold, take her to my sister.  She'll see the young lady settled in."

"Yes, sir."

"And I want to see the both of you first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir," they replied in unison.

Etien led her to another part of the camp, where a circle of women were sitting around a fire.  "Captain Misab?"

The General's sister could not have looked less like her relative.  The younger Misab had shining strawberry-blonde hair and a fair complexion dotted with freckles, where her brother had been dark and swarthy.  But they had the same welcoming smile, immediately making Cassadraine feel at home.

"Yes, Commander Aswold, what is it?" she asked, though her eyes were on Cassadraine, with the unspoken _and who is this young lady?_ tacked on.

"Captain, this is the scout from Jivata.  The General wants you to take care of her."

"Well, of course!  Come down from that horse, my dear, and we'll find a tent for you.  Commander, you'll take care of the horses, won't you?"

Before Cassadraine really realized what had happened, she was off her horse and nestled under a woolen blanket under a canvas tent, with a very chatty girl her own age on the other cot.  Benna had jabbered for a good hour before Captain Misab had come by and told her to let Cassadraine get some sleep.  Cassadraine hadn't minded the prattling, though; she somewhat suspected this was what it must be like to have friends.  A loner in Jivata, Cassadraine had been surrounded by people almost since coming into the army camp, and found she rather liked it.

_[A/N:  And this is going to be even longer than I thought… what was supposed to be one chapter is looking like it's going to be three… sigh…_

_[Well, as always, please tell me what you think.  I love reviews._

_[Next time!  More of Cassadraine going nuts!  (You would, too, if you had Chaos making an MST3K of you life).  And what, exactly, happens when you send Cassadraine and Etien off into the woods together in the middle of the night?]_


	14. I Hardly Dare To Think Of What Might Hap...

[Authoress's Notes:

[A short little chapter.  (I would just like it noted that this chapter, the previous one, and the next one were originally all one chapter, but things got longer than I intended, so oh well).  I rather like this one, though I couldn't tell you why.  There really isn't much to it.  And, once again, ffn seems to have the most random issues italicizing things I want it to.  Which is really annoying.  But here goes.

[Oh, and as to the title – I'm a complete ABBA freak.  Love 'em.  Go listen to ABBA or Mamma Mia! right now.  Hehe

[Enjoy!]

Chapter Thirteen 

"I hardly dare to think of what might happen

Where I'd be if I fell"__

_~~ABBA, "Under Attack"_

Meanwhile, on the divine plane, the Goddesses were still in a tiff.

"I still don't understand how this could have happened!" Life squealed.  "This was _not_ how the story was supposed to go."

"Certainly is nae how we wrote it."

"Of course it isn't," Death said, sounding very bored with the whole thing.  "But you didn't honestly think you were the only ones who got your hands on his script?"

Chaos was giggling inanely.  "You're brilliant!  Bloody brilliant!"

"Thank you."

"But… but…" Life sputtered.  "We had it written!  A nice quiet life up until he went and joined the army!  Normal parents, normal siblings…"

"Of course he had normal parents.  Normal parents in that culture arrange marriages."  Death smirked slightly.  "I just provided the girl."

"Ye're horrid."

"Thank you."

Chaos kept giggling.  "You've made my job so much easier, Death!"

"No!" Life shrieked.  "No!  You leave her alone!  Haven't you done enough?"

"Nope."

"Chaos, let th' poor thing work it out 'erself!  It might be okay yet, if th' two o' y just stay out o' th' poor dear's life!"

"And why should I do that?" Chaos asked, languidly leaning against the wall.  "She's mine.  I want her back.  And I'll do whatever I have to tear her away from that little distraction you whipped up."

"That's dreadful of you!"

"Th' lass has a chance o' bein' happy, Chaos!" Nature scolded.  "Isn' tha' what any Mum should want f'r 'er Daughter?"

"She'll be happier with me," Chaos petulantly insisted.

"Because you'll turn her back to the mindless drone she was and she won't know any better!"  Life was working herself into a fit.

"I've had enough of this!" Chaos decided.  "You two are so boring.  Oh.  And, Life?"  Life blinked at her.  "Better keep an eye on _your_ Daughter."  Cackling wildly, She disappeared in a burst of flame.

Nature glared at Death with all the ferocity She could muster.  "An' here I thought ye'd be helpin' us."  Death just shrugged and disappeared in a puff of fog.

~~*~~

Her mind is cold.  Not only that, but void.  The sensations she has known all her life, of being in tune with the natural world, have suddenly left her.  Bereft of those gifts she has never been without, her mind is cold.  Her soul shivers.

She opens her eyes to a blinding light, causing her to scream in pain and squeeze her eyelids shut again.  The chill is replaced almost immediately by searing heat, desert winds swirling around her.  Somewhere in the background, she can hear screaming, the throaty cries of some person in great pain.  On top of that is the haunting melody of a pack of wolves howling.  She tries to block the sound out, but to no avail.  Her only recourse then is to scream back at the all-encompassing fear.

_A voice permeates the shrieks.  Low, sultry, and terrifying.  "Mine," it says.  "Always mine."_

Cassadraine woke with a start, sitting bolt upright on her cot and hitting her head against the canvas of the tent.  Her hand flew unconsciously to the Necklace about her throat.  After a few deep breathes, she was able to assure herself that she was safe – relatively – in her tent with only Benna near her.  She glanced to the side and saw that Benna slept soundly still.  Cassadraine breathed a sigh of relief that she had only been screaming in her mind and not out loud.  _Wouldn't that be embarrassing?_ she thought, dragging a hand through her tangled curls.  _First night away from home and Mika flips out.  Lovely._

Cassadraine lay back down, pulling her thin blanket back over her body.  _I do hope this doesn't become a regular occurrence… that could get real annoying real bloody quick…_

~~*~~

Cassadraine spent the duration of the day being introduced to people and becoming acquainted with training schedules and the daily routine.  She learned that there was yet a third Misab sibling who served as an army officer, Captain Tembral Misab, younger than Etral and Tokala and resembling her brother.  The two Captains gave everyone permission to use their first names, as otherwise it got rather confusing.  Five minutes into the first training session, Cassadraine found she liked Tembral quite a lot when she smacked Etien upside the head for no readily apparent reason.

"Aswold!  Where's your head, boy?"  Cassadraine had to stifle a giggle; Tembral was older than Cassadraine, but certainly younger than Etien.  She also had a fairly good idea where his mind was wandering off to, from the hungry looks he'd been given her all afternoon.  But, determined to make a good impression, Cassadraine had kept herself grounded and focusing on her work.  She had initially been partnered with Benna for sparring practice, but that had been changed when Tembral realized she far exceeded the tiny woman's strength and speed.  Benna, in her gracious manner, didn't seem the least bit fazed.

"Say, Cassadraine, I hear they got some good meat for the stew this evening!" she chirped, bouncing up as the sun was setting.

Tembral, walking behind them, decided to put in her opinion.  "Yeah, an' a damn good thing, too.  I was gettin' tired of stale bread and watery soup."  She hit Cassadraine playfully.  "You're gonna find dinner here isn't quite what you're used to."

Cassadraine laughed.  "Quite alright.  Wasn't expecting any different."

They came to the fire circle amidst the rows of women's tents.  Two other fighters, Ixia and Taci, were apparently having some trouble starting a fire.  "Bloody frustrating piece of…" Ixia muttered, then threw her flint in irritation.

Cassadraine tilted her head.  "No luck?"

Ixia shook her head.  "We had a bad rain a few nights ago, and I think some of th' wood's still damp."

"Well, let's see what I can do."  Ixia started to retrieve the flint, but she hadn't gone two steps before the pile of logs and kindling had transformed into a raging bonfire.  Four pairs of eyes widened in amazement.  Tacima shrank back in fear.

"Uhm… Cassadraine?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"How'd you do that?"

"Oh.  Er.  Well, I've been doing it since I was eight.  Making things burst into flames, that is."

"Gracious!" Benna exclaimed.  "Why didn't you tell us?"

Cassadraine looked between them.  "Well, it didn't really occur to me.  I mean, surely there are lots of people here who can do that.  Mages and such.  Aren't there?"

Tembral shook her head slowly.  "Can you… can you do that whenever you want?"

"Well, it used to happen sort of spontaneously," Cassadraine said thoughtfully, twisting a lock of hair around her finger.  "But my _aymas_ taught me how to control it."

"Oh!  That's right.  Tok said you were… er… one of the old kind."

Cassadraine grinned and nodded.  "L'ai'kiva."

"We don't get many of them.  I think there's a water mage wandering around with Captain Esemi's troops, but…"  Tembral quit looking worried and suddenly seemed thrilled.  "This is fantastic.  The Misokans won't know what hit 'em."  Cassadraine had the distinct feeling she'd just become a valuable resource.

~~*~~

"Mika!"  

Cassadraine looked up from her stew to find Tembral calling at her.  "Ma'am?"

"Oh, for the love of… don't call me that.  Anyway.  General wants you an' Aswold to do some night reconnaissance.  Saddle up after dinner."

"Yes, ma—Tembral."

Tembral shook a finger at her disapprovingly before walking away.  Beside Cassadraine, Benna giggled.  "Oh, you're so lucky.  You've only been here a few days and already you get the good assignments."

"Well, I did join specifically for the purpose of being a scout…"

"Oh, I know, but still… the rest of us all have to be in our tents and you'll be riding about the countryside enjoying yourself."

Cassadraine allowed herself a small grin before she raised the spoon to her lips.  _Enjoying myself indeed…_ Etien had been going stir crazy the past few days, and Cassadraine had no doubt in her mind that he was going to take advantage of a few hours away from camp.

After dinner, she went to prepare Brianna, and found Etien likewise tending to Tiernan.  She smiled brightly.  "So.  You ready?"

"'Course I am," he grinned, then leaned over and kissed her.

Cassadraine flushed to the roots of her hair.  "If Benna sees this, I'm never going to hear the end of it."  Etien's only response was to kiss her again.  She pushed him lightly.  "Etien.  You know we've got to get our work done first."

He sighed, and she could hear how tense he was.  She tried not to laugh.  "I know, I know…"  He sounded truly dejected.  "Fortunately, that shouldn't take but so long."

Cassadraine grinned.  "Let's hope not."

As Etien predicted, the two scouts completed their rounds fairly quickly.  Their route was not long, an excursion along the established army perimeter to make sure the Misokans had pressed no further south.  So far as anyone could tell, they had not yet made it past the curve of the Red Alienor River or gone through any of the mountain passes which would lead them south of the city of Minyana.

Cassadraine and Etien were still some ways from camp when Etien said, "I think we ought to stop for a while… give the horses a rest."

Cassadraine whirled Brianna around, smirking at him.  "Give the horses a rest?"

He grinned back at her.  "They've been a while without a break."

"Indeed.  And you're not just saying that because you've been a while without something, either?"  His only answer was to trot Tiernan close enough so that he could stroke Cassadraine's cheek.  A brief moment after that, both scouts had leapt from their saddles, tied their horses' reins to tree branches, and made a mad dash for the nearest patch of grass.  They hadn't got much farther than a few impassioned kisses, however, before Cassadraine shoved him away.  Etien was distinctly startled, but not nearly so much as Cassadraine, whose mind's eye had suddenly been engulfed in flame.

Cackling. _Scare you, did I?_

_Go away go away go away!_

_No.  I'm here and I'm not going away.  Not until you come to your senses._

_Stop it!  I want nothing to do with you!  Haven't I made that clear?!_

Etien's confusion quickly turned to concern when he saw the look of horror etched on Cassadraine's pretty features.  "Cassadraine?  What is it, what's wrong?"

"She's…"  Cassadraine gulped.  Chaos's presence in her mind had for some reason made her throat gone dry, and speaking was a challenge.  "She's in my head…"  
"Who?"

_Don't you tell him!_

"Her… my…"

_You'll regret it!  I promise you that!_

"Cassadraine, hun, deep breaths, it's okay…"

"No, it isn't, not with…"

_Stop right now!_

_Make me!  I'll stop if you get out of my head!_

"It's my… my Mother!" she finally gasped.

_I warned you!_  The illusionary blaze inside her head flared up again.

"Your mother?  But…"

"Not my…"

_Not another word!_

"Not my mortal mother!"

"What?"

"I'll… I'll explain later… but…"

_Not if I have anything to say about it, you won't!_

_You don't!  This is my life!_

"But what, dear?"

"But I can't now…"

_Or ever!_

"Not with her in my head, I can't…"  Cassadraine sobbed from the splintering pain in her mind; her Mother's tyrade on top of various other Chaotic noises: hellhounds baying after a kill, the shrieks of torture victims, thunder and lightening exploding against her temples.  Cassadraine suddenly realized that Chaos could wreak havoc in her mind with less than a thought.  "Oh, Etien!"

_He can't help you now._

_Bloody hell!  Certainly can!_ Cassadraine defiantly insisted, despite the din and pain in her mind.  "Etien, please, just hold me…"

Though considerably bewildered, Etien did not hesitate to do as she asked.  His astonishment only increased as his typically strong Cassadraine broke down crying in his arms, as though sobbing would rid Chaos from her mind.  She closed off her thoughts; Chaos was still ranting and raving, but Cassadraine refused to dignify Her with a response, instead focusing on the warmth of Etien's body and the strength of his embrace.  Eventually Chaos got bored, gave up, and went away, allowing Cassadraine's tears to abate.  When Etien had assured himself she was alright, he helped her back onto her horse, awaiting an explanation but knowing it would come when she was ready.

~~*~~

Nature smiled serenely.  "You see, Life?  I told ye it would be alright."

"That was… amazing!  How did he do that?"

"He didnae need t' _do_ anythin'.  Jus' by existin'… he is wha' she needs."

"Chaos isn't going to be happy."

"I didnae expect so."

[That Goddess moment brought to you by the number 42 and the letter G.

_[Right.  So now we've seen Cassadraine have a complete nervous breakdown.  What could be worse?  (::low chuckle::)  And how in the name of everything holy is Cassadraine going to explain this all to Etien?  I mean, that's not something you can just slip into conversation.  "Lovely weather we're having, by the way, I'm known in some planes as the Daughter of Flame, and my immortal Mother and Creator is Chaos, the Goddess of Fire, Storm, and Destruction, could you pass the scones?"  Not easy.  I should know, I've tried._

_[Oh, and bonus points to anyone who can guess who Atika gets reincarnated as.  (Admittedly, this question is only fair to people who know about the other lives, but that's the way the muffin crumbles)._

_[Right.  Review!  Now!]_


	15. Him To Come And Night To Fall

_[Authoress's Notes:_

_[Bonus points from the last round go to Nadialyn.  Now here's a tougher one – once again only people familiar with other lives are going to understand – who does Etral Misab come back as?_

_[Another short, pointless chapter.  I swear I'm going to get back to the plot at some point…]_

Chapter Fourteen "All day long she waits for him to come and night to fall 

_She falls into her lover's arms, sweet gypsy heart"_

_~~Linda Eder, "Gypsy Heart"_

Chaos, as her Light Sisters had predicted, was _not_ happy.  In fact, irate, enraged, and livid would have been more on a par with her feelings.  She exceeded all of these, however, in a way that escaped mortal language.  The Goddess of Passion had been provoked, and now her emotions were let loose in all their dubious glory.  "_Xroma chazret!  Vrep ranke lir sadwelo sres dus h'ag ro zewu_!*  Damn it!"

When she had been cursing fluently in a smattering of languages for a full half hour, Chaos turned to her Summoning Shield and screamed "DEATH!"

A wisp of smoke, and Her Sister appeared.  "Really, Chaos, you needn't shout."

"Have you seen what's been going on?!"

Death just blinked.  "Please, dear Sister, remind me if I care."

"My Daughter!  And your plan!  It isn't working!  Isn't doing a damned thing, and I'm left with nothing but _aeha ro torfa lir**_—"

"Chaos, please, as creative as your obscenities are, that's not the way to solve the problem."

Chaos halted mid-rant.  "You have a way, then?"

"I might."

"Good!"

"But I'm rather busy right now."

"Busy.  Busy?  With what?!"

Death smirked.  "You're not the only one with Children.  Or with Nephews and Nieces, for that matter."

"Whatever you're doing can wait.  I need help _now_!" Chaos declared, stamping her foot and looking every inch the petulant child-queen.  Death generally took Her Sister's temper tantrums in stride, but She did not like being ordered about any more than any other supernatural being would.

"It's just as well we wait, anyway," Death sniffed indignantly.  "Because my plan is delicately woven.  Not that you'd know anything about planning and plotting, but it's quite devious but will require time to work."

"Oh?"

"Yes."  Death waved an arm at one of the Viewing Shields, where Cassadraine and Etien were still visible, guiding their mounts towards camp.  "Break them apart now, and she will be hurt.  She will cry and pine and become generally morose, but she will recover.  And that will not be enough to turn her back to You."

"So?"

"So, if we let them grow closer together, it will hurt even more when we tear them apart."  She strode closer to the image on the shield.  "Look at them.  The bond is formed but not sealed.  Wait for it to settle, for the two of them to come to love each other, really and truly – once the infatuation passes and the true emotion sets in – and _then_ come between them.  She will not just be broken-hearted, she will be broken-spirited.  She mourn his loss, weep for him until her sorrow threatens to consume her."  Death smiled ever-so-slightly.  "And that, dear Sister, should be enough to make her call out to You – to ease her pain and avenge the wrong done to her."

Chaos drummed her fingernails against the wall for a moment, considering this.  She did not like to take advice, but that did not necessarily mean She did not know how to.  "Alright.  That's good."

"I thought you would come around.  So be patient, just a while longer.  See to Your other Daughter."

Chaos nodded.  "I have plans for her."  She grinned.  "Great plans."

~~*~~

They were nearly back to camp, and Etien guessed it must have been close to midnight, at the very least.

"My Mother is a Goddess," Cassadraine said abruptly.

"Come again?" he replied, startled.  She had not spoken since her breakdown in the woods, and he still didn't know what was going on.

"I don't have a mortal mother.  I was just sort of… put down here.  My Mother is a Goddess.  Chaos, to be precise."

"Your mother is… huh?"

"You would know Her as Ivlana or Kaistar…but it doesn't matter what name you call Her, it's all one.  She is fire.  Destruction.  Pain and suffering.  Chaos."

"Cassadraine, are you sure you didn't hit your head earlier?"

She whirled on him, cold fury in her jade eyes.  "You don't believe me."

"Well… err…"

"Why on earth would I make something this absurd up?  Do you think I'm particularly thrilled about looking like an utter fool?"

"Well, no, but…"

She gave an exasperated sigh and turned Brianna back around, the fire fading from her voice as quickly as it had sprung up in the first place.  "I should have expected, I suppose.  I mean, you've no good reason to believe me."

Etien blinked at her.  Part of him _wanted_ to believe her.  It was almost as though part of him knew every word she was saying was the most basic truth.  _But… my Cassadraine?  A Goddess's Daughter?_  It was far too incredible to believe.  _My Cassadraine, the country girl I found in a backwater town in the middle of a forgotten region?  Semi-divine?  Well, the fact that I think she's beyond perfect doesn't make it truth… oh, gracious, she's half-mad, isn't she?_

He looked over at her.  Cassadraine was shaking her head, her eyes focused downward at the fingers clutching Brianna's reins.  Some of her golden curls had fallen loose of the braid and were hanging like curtains on either side of her face, obscuring her features from his view.  _Well… so what if she thinks she's the Daughter of a Goddess?  What does that hurt?  She's still my Cassadraine… no different than she was yesterday._

Cassadraine's thoughts were quite different.  She had quickly recovered from the disappointment of Etien's disbelief, and was instead thinking of ways to keep the experience from repeating itself.  _There has_ got _to be a way to block her out of my mind… don't be stupid, Cassadraine, she's a Goddess, she can go in whoever's mind she likes._  A mental pause.  _Wait a minute… she never showed up before…_  One hand drifted absently to the necklace about her throat.  _Gracious, but you're an idiot, Cassadraine.  Very well, then.  I'll just take this thing off, and…_

That was as far as the thought went.  For some reason, the notion of taking off the Necklace seemed foreign, impossible even.  But she knew she had to, if she wanted to be free of her Mother.  But the same force which had driven her to find and wear the Necklace to begin with now forbade her to remove it.  _Perhaps… perhaps I won't wear it_ all _the time, then… not when I'm with Etien, not when I'm around civilized people… but in battle, or when I'm alone… that would be okay…_  Having rationalized thus, Cassadraine satisfied herself that this would be an appropriate course of action.

The two scouts trotted back to camp in relative silence.  They saw that the horses were properly cared for, and Etien walked Cassadraine back over to the women's side of the camp.  Before letting her go to her tent, he took her by the shoulders and planted a soft kiss on her lips.  He sighed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  "What's the matter?" she inquired.

"Nothing.  Nothing at all."  And that was, of course, precisely the problem.  Cassadraine, ever intuitive, didn't believe that one bit, and just kept staring at him until he felt compelled to give a straight answer.  "Don't let it worry you…"

"If something's bothering you, I'm worried."

"I swear, darling, it's nothing…"  He kissed her forehead.  "I love you."

Cassadraine blinked several times in rapid succession, thrown by both the proclamation and his rapid change of topic.  "Y-You do?"

"Wasn't that evident?"

She blinked again.

"Guess not… well, I do."

"You mean it?"

"I don't say things I don't mean.  Especially things like that."

She blinked one more time, then broke into a huge, gleeful smile and threw her arms around him.  "Oh, Etien!"

He chuckled.  "Easy, girl."  He ran a hand through her hair.  "I'll see if I can get us on another mission for tomorrow night.  Until then…"

~~*~~

As it happened, Etien managed to sign them up for a night scouting trip the next night, and many nights thereafter.  Cassadraine started taking off the Red Necklace whenever she needed to concentrate – particularly when she was with Etien.  Over the next few weeks, she started truly enjoying herself with the army.  Benna had enthusiastically told everyone about her pyrotechnic talents, earning her much sudden attention.  Cassadraine spent most of her days with the rest of her squadron, learning fighting skills from Tembral and military tactics from Tokala.  She grew to love every minute of it, even being shouted at when her mind wandered or she made a callow mistake.  It made her feel part of something, part of a group, and that had been missing her whole life.  

But the true glory came at night, her time alone with Etien.  Regardless of whether or not they had a scout mission, they usually managed to steal away together for some amount of time.  Now that she managed to keep Chaos out of her head, she could enjoy it so much more, without worrying that her mind was going to be overthrown at any second.  There were some days – usually the ones which were light duty-wise, when she had nothing else to occupy her attention – when she couldn't keep her mind off of Etien.  Especially when she saw him during the day.  Their eyes would meet, and she would suddenly be lost in thought, her mind drifting far from the present, either reliving a past tryst or looking forward to the next…

"Aswold!  Mika!"

Cassadraine startled to attention.  "Sir!"  Etien and Cassadraine jogged over to the General.  Cassadraine was chewing on her lower lip.  Etien noticed and hoped the General hadn't.  _Not that Misab would know what that means, but…_  Cassadraine had been stealing glances at Etien all evening, following and, he suspected, undressing him with her eyes.  He had been yearning for her to begin with, but the fact that she was looking at him with lust-filled eyes every two minutes was about to send him over the edge.  But he wasn't going to get Cassadraine to himself for some hours yet.

General Misab gestured them over to his tent.  "I need your opinion on something.  Come in and have a look at this map."  He pulled back the canvas flap to allow them entrance.  The spacious tent was lit with three bright lanterns, with a single cot pushed far to the right side.  Taking up most of the room was a large wooden folding table, on which was currently spread a map of Talsyra, dotted with pewter figurines.  There were also, Etien noted, four shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey on the table, and there were three officers aside from the General in the tent.  "You two are my finest scouts, and so I need to run this by you," Misab said.  "We're considering a move to the north."  He hovered over the map, gesturing with two fingers.  "Following the base of the mountains up to… this point, and then trekking through the woods.  We'll go through the Ay'ta Pass, and be at the Misokan camp in no time."

"There's a problem with that plan," Cassadraine said, chewing on her thumbnail and glancing at the map.

"What's that?"

"The Ay'ta Pass is nearly, well, impassable since last winter.  There was a bad snowstorm.  First some of the trees atop the cliffs were knocked down.  Some farmers tried to remove the damaged trees, and in doing so loosened the soil so that the _next_ time it snowed… well, there was an avalanche, and it took with it most of the cliff.  Rocks, wood, animal bones… you'd never get an army over it.  Well, I mean, you could, but it'd cost us an extra… week, at least, to get all the horses over."

"What do you suggest we do?"

Cassadraine leant over the map.  "You could angle further west, but that will mean going through denser forest than we want to go through… not to mention the lower Taipan…"

"Or," Etien interjected, "we could go east half a league and cross the river at the Kai'ti'ka Bridge… follow the river north to the Sse'val Bridge, cross back over… by that point we'll be farther north than where you've predicted the Misokans are… we could take them from the north."

"They'd never suspect we'd be coming from that direction.  I'll bet anything they keep sending their scouts south and west… if we go north and east…"

"We'd totally surprise them," General Misab finished.  He looked up at Etien and Cassadraine with a half-smile.  "Good work, you two.  Aswold, I'm glad you found Miss Mika here.  She's invaluable."

Etien glanced over at her with a secretive smile.  "Sure is."

~~*~~

"I really fail to see how this is helping me."

"Patience, Sister."

Chaos drummed her fingernails against the wall next to the Shield She was watching.  "Look at them.  It's sickening.  All lovey-dovey and…blech…"  She whirled around.  "When do we get to the heart-breaking part?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?  They're clearly in love."

Death just shook her dark head.  "The time isn't right yet.  They're still in that lustful stage… honestly, Chaos, You ought to know better than anyone."

"Hmph."  Chaos's mood changed in the flicker of an instant.  "No.  I don't want to wait!  Remind me why I'm listening to your advice again?"

"Because—"

"No!  Forget it!  I've got my own plan!"

Death knew better than to argue.  She also knew that Chaos was looking for a fight, and decided to irritate the Fire Goddess further by not giving Her one.  Rather than engage in verbal sparring, She simply disappeared in a wisp of black smoke.

_*You don't want to know.  Trust me._

_**Ditto._

_[A/N:_

_[Right.  Next time.  Chaos has a plan, which is really never a good sign.  And – a battle!  Whee!  So R&R, and tune back in sometime in the hopefully not too distant future for the next installment, which is probably going to be titled after a line in Chess – "There's no deal!"]_


End file.
